Cradle
by KyuubiLover100
Summary: Haruno Sakura was The Anomaly. A nickname given to her because no one knew where she was from, who her parents were, or even what species she belonged to. All anyone knew - and wanted to know - was that she was a damn good fighter and the prize jewel of the arena. That was until she was basically kidnapped and forced to find the answers to her origins by one Uchiha Sasuke & company
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I can't find the chapter where I mentioned wanting to do an edit so here is the edit! As always, I would absolutely love to thank you all of you for hanging around and reading my writing, I greatly appreciate it.

 **P.S.:** The base is fundamentally the same, I just approached it differently (if that makes sense).

 **Cradle: Chapter 1 – The Anomaly**

Every night was the same for her. Some nights, the excitement and incessant stomping and cheering from the crowd would wake her up while other nights, it'd be the rounded end of a Wrangler's polearm. Tonight, it was a Wrangler and tonight, they decided to jam it into her abdomen rather than aggressively nudge her.

She groaned out of both pain and annoyance as the ringing in her ears was replaced by muffled shrieking and screaming from above. When she looked at the Wrangler who woke her, they immediately tensed up at the sight of her piercing emerald eyes. She didn't need to utter a word as the Wrangler quickly scurried away and out of the Fighters' Bunks.

When the ringing subsided entirely, she heard the commotion of the Barracks. She looked around and saw many of her bunkmates were already up and out of their beds. Very few were still in the room but those who lingered seemed to be hesitant. It was the usual bunch. She didn't dwell on them long as she grabbed the prescription bottle sitting on the floor by her bed. She shook it and barely heard it rattle. She sucked her teeth and looked in to see only one pill remaining.

"Fuck," she groaned as she emptied the bottle and swallowed the pill.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I can't even begin to express how good it is to see all of you here this evening!" the announcer's voice came through loud and clear to those in the Barracks. "I see plenty of familiar faces and plenty of not-so-familiar faces. For those of you who have returned, allow me to welcome you home, and to those of you who are new? Allow me to welcome you to your final stop before facing judgement: The Abyss!"

She could feel a migraine threatening already at the sound of his voice. She tapped her forehead just above her right eye and squeezed her eyes shut. She sat there a moment and focused on drowning out the noise of everything around her.

"You'll be okay," she told herself. "This is your last match…your last match."

"Let's get moving!" a Wrangler called. "Hey, what're you doing? Get up!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back as she opened her eyes and blinked away the spots. She shook her head and one she was sure she was as balanced as she was going to get, she stood up. She bypassed the wall that held all their armor and weapons where her bunkmates prepared themselves for the night. She was almost out when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

"For those of you unfamiliar with The Abyss, allow me to educate you," the announcer said. "It's a last-ditch effort for desperate men and women to achieve fame and glory. For some, they prove capable and can bask in the glory of their success here in The Abyss, but then there are those who aren't so lucky."

She stopped and stared. She ran her fingers through her unwashed and unkempt bright pink hair. It reached the middle of her back and when she sniffed some of it, all she smelled was blood, sweat, and dirt. As for her skin, it was bruised, scarred, and dirty. On her right forearm, she wore bandages that were wrapped tight and secure. As for her clothes, they were basically nothing but rags.

"Bait walking!"

She pulled her eyes away from the mirror and looked out into the hallway. With her bunkmates, they watched as a line of scrawny men and women were ushered by with their wrists and ankles chained together. In their hands, they held weapons that were entirely too large for them.

"Now then, let's get started, shall we?" the announcer cooed.

"Please!" one of them pleaded. "You can't do this! Please, just let us go!"

"I'm not supposed to be here! I'm just a merchant! I don't want to die!"

"Let us go! Please!"

"Please!"

"Step aside, Bait walking!"

She stepped out of the Fighters' Bunk and headed down the hallway in the opposite direction. She rubbed her ear as she heard their pleading become more desperate and the rattling of their chains became louder. They always struggled but their pleas were never enough.

"Here in The Abyss, we _love_ to begin every match with: Let There Be Blood!"

She could hear the creaking of the large metal gates as they began to open. Chains collapsed onto the ground and there were more desperate pleas and angry shouting. There were some screams and gut-wrenching noises as one or two Bait didn't make it out the gates. More creaking and lastly, the shutting of the gates followed by pounding on the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She stopped and saw a group of Wranglers lingering in a hallway, cigarettes in hand and uniforms out of order. She recognized them and had wished she'd waited a little bit longer to leave her bunk.

"Well?" their "leader" asked as he walked up to her and blew smoke in her face. "Answer me when I speak to you, Anomaly."

She coughed and waved the smoke away. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to, asshole."

"Huh?" It didn't take much to rile him up. He wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her against the nearest wall. "Don't forget that you are _beneath_ me, Anomaly."

"And don't forget that it's merely because of titles. Nothing else," she reminded him as she glared at him. "Had you and I run into each other anywhere but here, then you and I both know that I'd bury you. So, stop with the dick swinging and let me go before I have to tell Lord Toneri the reason why I'm late. And you know I don't believe in subtleties."

He gritted his teeth before releasing her. He mustered up an obnoxiously large loogy and spit it out just by her feet. He sucked his teethed and eyed her before sauntering away, his small posse following behind him.

She felt that migraine threatening again, and she pressed the same spot as before. "Calm," she cooed to herself. "Stay calm." She took a deep breath in followed by a long exhale out. "Calm. Calm. Stay calm." She was in the middle of her mantra when she heard ringing. She looked down at the bracelet on her left wrist and tapped it. A screen appeared, and it displayed a young man with pristine snow-white skin with snow-white hair and mesmerizing turquoise eyes.

"Yes, Prince Toneri?" she answered.

"What's taking you so long?" he questioned, slightly annoyed. "I expected you to be up here by the time I finished the introductions yet, here I am still waiting on you."

"My apologies. I'll be there shortly," she assured.

"Hurry," he insisted. "I have some very special guests here today and they're running on a very tight schedule."

She nodded and with that, their call ended. Her screen disappeared, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"This is your _last_ match. Your last one," she reminded herself.

From there, she made her way through the Barracks and through the Wranglers' Lounge. She ignored their side-eyes and glares as she walked up to their elevator and scanned her bracelet.

The scanner flashed green and the elevator doors opened. As she entered her desired floor, she shook her nerves. "Calm. Calm. Stay calm. Calm. Calm. Stay calm. Calm. Calm. Stay calm." She rubbed the back of her neck before she cracked it. She cracked her knuckles and wrists before jumping in place. She stretched and loosened herself up and when she was done, the elevator doors opened.

She stepped out onto a much more extravagant floor than what she and the other Fighters were subjected to in The Barracks. Here, she crossed over polished hardwood floors and bypassed expensive paintings and flawless wallpaper. She bypassed doors that were gilded with enough gold and crystals that she could buy her freedom but the cost of stealing them wasn't worth it.

She walked a bit before reaching a set of double doors that were obnoxiously large with excessive decorations. It was entirely too gaudy but, it suited its host. She didn't bother knocking as she grabbed ahold of the handles and pulled open the doors.

On the other side, aristocratic men and women stood around wearing extravagant clothes, flaunting their wealth. They held crystal glasses with expensive wines and platters with expensive foods. And unlike her, they were clean and presentable. She would never admit it aloud, but she envied them.

"There you are!" Toneri exclaimed as he caught sight of her. "Everyone. Everyone, please. Allow me to present to you: The Anomaly!"

Almost immediately, she was swarmed by the men and women who occupied the room. They poked and prodded at her as if she were an experiment to be studied, and she endured. She definitely hated this part most of all and despite having to go through this every night, she could never get used to it.

"That's enough, don't you think?"

Just as quickly as she was swarmed, they stopped. She was relieved that she only had to endure a minute of torture rather than twenty, but then confusion settled in. It wasn't Toneri who made them stop. She watched as the crowd parted and she saw Toneri heading for her.

"Yes, yes, you all have seen her quite enough," Toneri agreed as he stepped aside and revealed the woman who had gotten his guests to yield.

The woman standing in front of her mesmerized her. Her lavender tinted eyes were hypnotizing, and her dark blue hair was shiny and perfect. Then she noticed how she didn't wear the same expensive attire as the rest. Instead, she looked more like she belonged down in the Barracks with the rest of the Fighters. She saw bandages, both old and new, along with a few faint scars on her arms, torso, and neck.

"Allow me to formally introduce you," Toneri insisted as he placed a hand on the young woman's back, "Anomaly, this is – ."

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata," she introduced herself with a sweet smile. "Is there something else I can call you aside from 'Anomaly?' I mean, you do have a name after all, don't you? Or have you always been 'The Anomaly?''

She blinked a few times. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had bothered to ask for her _actual_ name. And for a second, she almost forgot it. "Um…Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno Sakura," she repeated. "That's a lovely name. Do you mind if I call you 'Sakura-chan?'"

For the first time in a while, she felt an unfamiliar warmth in her chest. "I don't mind at all."

"Darling," Toneri seemed slightly irritated, "you never change, do you?"

The smile Hinata gave Toneri wasn't nearly as sweet as the one she gave Sakura, but he didn't seem to notice.

Toneri cleared his throat and looked back at Sakura, "Hinata-chan here didn't introduce herself properly. Formally, she is Hinata of House Hyuuga, a reputable family based in Fire Country."

Sakura stared at Hinata for a moment. "So, you're of Nobility?"

"I am," Hinata confirmed. "I know, I don't exactly look the part."

"You don't," Sakura answered.

"Anomaly," Toneri spat.

Hinata giggled. "No, it's quite all right. There's no point in my pretending that I'm not sticking out like a sore thumb."

"Speaking of sore thumbs," Toneri grumbled as he looked over his shoulder.

Behind Toneri, Sakura could see two more unfamiliar faces. At first, she saw the young man who stood out the most with spikey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had whisker markings on his cheeks and sat on the ground against the wall by the buffet table. Sitting beside him was a pale young man with long black hair and black eyes. They two of them were in the same state of disarray as Hinata and neither wore expensive clothing like the rest.

"Honestly, when did you decide to start traveling with a manservant?" Toneri questioned. "If you needed an additional travel companion, I'm sure I could've spoken to Queen Mother about it. There are plenty of other people of Nobility who are due to start their Guardianships."

"It wasn't planned," Hinata answered. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, come here."

Sakura watched as both the men stopped their conversation and eyed Hinata. She wasn't sure what look she gave them, but it was enough to get them both on their feet and headed their way. The black-haired young man walked ahead of the blonde. He walked with his back straight and didn't attempt to hide the look of annoyance on his face. Behind him, the blonde seemed to slouch, his eyes going back and forth between Hinata and Toneri before they settled on Sakura.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata gained her attention again, "this is my friend and travel companion, Uchiha Sasuke, and that is Hamura Naruto. He just recently started traveling with us a few months ago."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Naruto spoke in a polite tone with a slight bow. He paired it with a warm smile which made up for the cold stare that Sasuke greeted her with.

He didn't say anything as he eyed her. For whatever reason, she shifted uncomfortable beneath his gaze and wanted to look away but something in his eyes demanded she look at him. She felt powerless in front of him and she hated it.

"If she's your Champion, I would've assumed you would've made sure she was better taken care of," Sasuke muttered as he glanced at Toneri. "The least you could do is get her some decent armor and not have her walking around in rags."

Toneri scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please, what's the point? The armor and clothes would just get destroyed in a match anyway. Plus, she prefers this, don't you, Anomaly?"

"Sakura." Hinata seemed irritated with Sakura's nickname more than Sakura.

She simply nodded. "Yes. This is fine."

"See." Toneri put on a broad grin and clapped his hands together. "Well, I'm sure the first round is almost over. But before I go, how long are you all able to stay? I know you mentioned that you didn't have much time but how much time do you have?"

"A little under an hour," Sasuke answered.

Toneri sucked his teeth. "How disappointing. Fine then, I suppose I can move the schedule around a bit. Anomaly, you'll be fighting in the next match, understood?"

"Yes sir." Sakura expected as much.

"Wonderful." He beamed with excitement before heading towards his platform. He doubled back however to kiss Hinata. It was tender, but uncomfortable for those subjected to watch it. It lasted a few seconds too long before Toneri scurried away and hopped onto his platform.

"Ugh," Hinata groaned as she wiped her mouth. She snatched a glass of wine off a passing tray and in a very not-so-noble like fashion, she chugged it. She held the glass loosely in her hand and finally, Sakura saw how she truly felt plastered all over her face.

"I'll take this," Naruto insisted as he took Hinata's wine glass. "Do you want another, Lady Hinata?"

"Please," Hinata pleaded, "or something stronger. Who am I kidding? All Toneri ever provides for these things are expensive wines. Like we don't already know how wealthy the Outsutsuki Clan is."

Sasuke chuckled, "You're letting loose a little early, aren't you?"

Hinata rolled her eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite the match, wasn't it?" Toneri called and the crowd cheered enthusiastically in response. He laughed and clapped his hands together, "I'm glad you all enjoyed that. Now then, it is a great honor of mine that I announce a very special surprise for the lot of you. Now usually, we save the best for last but due to a change in circumstances, I believe we can settle for second, don't you all agree?"

The crowd practically vibrated with excitement at his words. Together, the regulars began to stomp in unison and it didn't take long for the newcomers to join in. Sakura moved to the railing of the Premium Booth and stretched a bit more.

"Allow me to introduce the Champion of the Abyss, the Queen of the Sand, and the Harbinger of Death." With every word, the crowd stomped faster and faster. "I present to you Haruno Sakura, better known as The Anomaly!"

Sakura jumped down to the arena floor and as he feet touched the ground, Sakura couldn't hear a thing except for their cheering. She looked around at the crowd and saw they were borderline animalistic. She'd lost count of how many times she'd seen the scene, but nonetheless, it still made her sick every time.

"As for her competitor," Toneri began but stopped when a loud banging rung out through the arena. Together, everyone looked at a set of metal gates and saw it had warped underneath whatever was banging on the other side. Toneri chuckled, "My, my, my. It seems that he's eager to come forth."

Sakura readied herself. She crouched low to the ground and narrowed her eyes at the gates that began to bend at the force of the pounding.

"Presenting a creature from the deadliest swamp in the Land of Water, a veracious Viashino," Toneri hyped up but before he could finish, the metal gates swung off the hinges. One door came hurtling towards him and he quickly moved out of the way. He held out his hand and before the gate crashed into the audience, it stopped.

On the ground, Sakura dodged rolled out of the way of the other door. Just above her head, something zoomed pass followed by the sickening sound of crushed bones. She looked over her shoulder and saw a Wrangler plastered on the wall. She recognized the face – at least what was left of it – as the usual Wrangler who bullied her on a regular basis. She didn't feel bad.

From the darkness of the Barracks, a large Viashino crawled out, his jowl already stained with blood. He was panting and seething at the mouth and in his hand was the mangled body of another Wrangler.

"Essek the Viashino!" Toneri announced as he tossed the metal gate back towards the arena floor, the door crashing just behind Essek. With that, Essek dashed forward. "What is it we say here in The Abyss?"

"Let There Be Blood!"

Sakura braced herself. She kept her eyes fixed on Essek and watched as he leapt high into the air. He whirled around, his sharp-spiked tail now aimed directly at Sakura. She dodged out of the way but before she could regain her footing, Essek's fist connected with her stomach and he sent her tumbling across the arena floor. She crashed into the wall and let out a groan of frustration.

Overhead, Toneri guided his platform back to the Premium Booth. Once it was docked, he stepped off, made his way to Hinata, and lead her to the railing. There, the two of them stood and watched as Sakura tussled with Essek.

"So, how did you manage to get a Viashino out of its swamp?" Hinata questioned.

Toneri chuckled, "Honestly Darling, are you forgetting where we are? Anything that is illegal elsewhere, is perfectly legal on this island. The only thing governing things around here is coin, which I have plenty of. So, if I want to buy a Viashino for a night of entertainment, I'll happily buy one."

Down below, Sakura dodged a punch and ducked beneath his arm. She planted her foot and with a powerful force, she landed a blow that knocked the wind out of Essek's. He flew straight back into the arena wall and Sakura let out a long breath. She waited for him to emerge from the smoke, but he waited a second too long. Quickly, she maneuvered out of the way of a piece of earth that jutted out from the ground where she once stood. She was quick on her feet to dodge pillar after pillar but while dodging, she forgot to look for Essek.

From behind, Essek swung his tail around and smacked Sakura straight into a pillar. Sakura bit her lip hard, her teeth piercing her skin as she endured the pain on her back. The razor-sharp spikes on Essek's tail had tore through her skin and had it been anyone else, it would've been impossible to move.

She looked up towards the Premium Booth and saw the way Toneri smiled down at her. She gritted her teeth and balled up her fist before looking back at Essek's who lingered a few feet away.

"Why did she look to you just now?" Sasuke questioned as he joined them at the railing.

"Because she needs my permission to use her Mana," Toneri explained.

As Sakura struggled to regain her footing, she saw Essek's slither towards her. She quickly grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. As he lashed out, his claws cut across her arm, the wounds deep. She didn't cry out and she didn't let it slow her down. She grabbed ahold of his jaw and with as much strength as she could muster up through the pain, she swung Essek's over her shoulder and slammed his back into the ground.

She moved back a few feet before running up a pillar formed by Essek. She kept an eye on him as he rolled over onto his stomach and began moving around. More pillars jutted out from the ground and from the existing pillars and she leapt from one to another. When she was high enough, she leapt into the air dove towards the ground.

She punched the ground and beneath the force of her punch, the ground shattered and cracked. The crowd cheered loudly at the destructive force of Sakura in her injured state.

"How did you find someone like her?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes fixed on the match now.

Toneri noticed and chuckled. "I'm glad you asked. Originally, she was supposed to be a present for you about four to five years ago. I happened upon her in the market while I was shopping around for new Fighters and some Bait. She seemed miserable but capable."

"A present for me?" Sasuke repeated.

"Yes," Toneri assured. "But I knew you'd just let her go anyway so I figured I'd keep her for myself. Sure, she was able to satisfy a few of my guests but after she injured poor Kimimaru, I threw her in with the Bait. She was a scrawny little thing and we didn't expect her to survive. But, as you can see, she's still very much alive."

"So, she's the one who gave Kimimaru that laceration across his chest," Sasuke sounded delighted.

"Don't sound so intrigued," Toneri sounded annoyed. "Kimimaru was furious. You know, he still isn't speaking to me because I decided to keep Sakura? I mean, what else was I to do after someone who went in as Bait survived the match and beat out a regular Fighter? I tested her a few times and she kept winning match after match. Now, here we are."

"So, why is she called 'The Anomaly' by you and everyone else here?" Hinata questioned.

"Oh, that's easy. No one can identify her Race," Toneri answered. "And before you start running down a list of Humanoid Races, she's none of them. She's especially not Human. We figured she was a Changeling but those have been extinct for a while now. About fifteen, twenty years now?"

"Fifteen," Naruto muttered.

"Right, thank you," Toneri continued. "And then we tried Genasi but nothing there either. Her makeup isn't identifiable and since she claims to have been an orphan her whole life, she doesn't know either. Thus, we call her The Anomaly."

Down in the arena, Sakura went toe to toe with Essek. The pain in Sakura's arm and back were throbbing and she wanted to collapse. She jumped back out of the way of Essek's tail and watched as he darted towards her. In that split second, she looked up towards Toneri and finally, he nodded. Overjoyed, Sakura's eyes seemed to shine brighter. A wicked smirk grew onto her lips and as Essek leapt towards her, a powerful bolt of lightning struck them both.

"Now, the real fun begins," Toneri cooed.

As the smoke cleared, Essek struggled to get up while Sakura stood tall. Her wounds were fully healed and there wasn't a trace of them left on her skin. Suddenly, Essek's was launched into the air but a pillar of earth and as he flew, Sakura took a deep breath in, her chest expanding. Before Essek's could dodge, Sakura launched a powerful stream of flames in his direction and he was caught in its direct path.

As Essek's fell towards the ground, Sakura launched herself forward. She tackled Essek and as they tumbled, she landed on her feet and flung him straight into the arena wall. Behind her, several magic circles of various colors formed, and various elements burst forth from each one. They combined and hit Essek and pounded him further and further into the arena wall.

Hinata and Sasuke watched in amazement at Sakura's turn around and marveled in her combative power. Hinata's attention wavered however when she heard glass shatter. She and Sasuke were the only one's to turn and see Naruto kneeling behind them.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata quickly went to his side and saw his forehead was covered in sweat. "Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

"Something's not right," Naruto groaned through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Naruto's blues eyes began to be overtaken by a dark red as his pupils began to form slits. The whisker markings on his cheeks seemed to darken while his nails began to extend into claws.

"I got him," Sasuke assured as he helped Naruto to his feet and draped his arm over him. He guided him out of the Premium Booth and left Hinata with Toneri.

Hinata kept her eyes fixed on the door for a moment before joining Toneri back at the railing. Down below, Sakura was still beating the life out of Essek, and that's when she saw it. The air around Sakura rippled violently and when she saw a crack form, her eyes widened.

"Toneri, you need to stop this match," Hinata urged.

Toneri looked at her and noticed Sasuke's absence, "Where did Sasuke go?"

"Did you hear me?" Hinata asked, her irritation prevalent now.

"I heard you," Toneri assured her. "Whether I listen is another thing. You can't really expect me to stop this match, do you? She's about to win."

"It won't matter if she breaks the barrier," Hinata argued. "She's expelling too much Mana, Toneri. If this keeps up, a Realm Tear is going to form, and you'll be putting all the people here in danger."

Toneri rolled his eyes. "Please. As long as Sakura's been fighting here, there hasn't been a Realm Tear. Sure, the barrier may have cracked, and the barrier has blurred a time or two but there has _never_ been a Realm Tear."

Hinata blinked a few times. She chuckled a bit and cupped her hands over her mouth to contain her frustration. She took a deep breath before looking at Toneri, "You're telling me that this is normal?"

"Perfectly normal."

"Do you not see how that's a problem?"

"She takes suppressants on a daily basis to assure that she doesn't go too far," Toneri assured her. "Darling, relax. Just relax and enjoy the match, will you?"

Hinata sucked her teeth. As she turned, she saw Sasuke coming back into the Premium Booth. "How is he?"

"Sleeping," Sasuke answered. As he reached the railing, he saw what Hinata saw. Several more cracks had formed, each one larger than the one before.

"Toneri won't stop the match," Hinata informed him.

Sasuke sucked his teeth and leapt up onto the railing. "I'll get her."

"Huh? What're you doing?" Toneri questioned and watched as Sasuke launched himself off the railing. "Sasuke!"

Sakura cocked her fist back to deliver the final blow. Essek barely stood on his own in front of her but before her fist could connect, Sasuke appeared in front of her. Stunned, she stopped herself just before her fist broke through his sternum. A powerful gust of wind followed, and Essex was sent flying back but Sasuke stood firm.

There, Sakura saw the look in his eyes. They were no longer black and bottomless. In one eye, it was bright red with an intricate design in them while the other was purple with several rings and tomes that formed a triangle. Before she could say anything, she fell unconscious.

Sasuke caught her and as he lifted her into his arms, he heard the crowd's disapproval of his interference. He ignored them as he leapt back up towards the Premium Booth and landed on the railing with ease. He stepped down into it and walked by Toneri.

"Hold it!" Toneri growled as he stepped in front of Sasuke. "Do you have any idea how much money I'm going to lose because you decided to end the match?"

"I'm surprised you're worried about that kind of thing," Sasuke said and Toneri scowled. "You've had your fun, Toneri. She's unstable and I won't allow her to fight here anymore, not until she can control herself."

"Unstable?" Toneri repeated. "The Anomaly is highly capable of controlling herself. She's also none of your concern, Sasuke. As your Prince, I order you to put her down and leave her _here_. Is that clear?"

"That's enough," Hinata insisted as she stood between the two of them.

"Stay out of this." Toneri glared at Hinata but she didn't avert her gaze. "She is staying here. As I told you before, she has never caused an actual Realm Tear and therefore, she is not a danger to myself or any of the patrons."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to stand here and argue with you, Outsutsuki. As a Guardian of the Uchiha Clan in the name of the Outsutsuki Royal Family, I'm doing my job. What do you think is going to happen when a Realm Tear _does_ form and hundreds of your patrons are killed? That'll reflect poorly on the Outsutsuki, and it'll especially reflect poorly on you. You're still just a prince and I'm sure Queen Mother wouldn't mind naming another heir if you happen to fuck up, don't you agree?"

Toneri gritted his teeth.

"Now, allow us to do our job and continue to make you look good," Sasuke insisted as he nodded his head towards the railing. "And I suggest you do it quickly before they're more upset with you than they are with me."

Toneri glanced out towards the audience and saw they were becoming unruly, and not in a good way. He mumbled something underneath his breath before marching over to the railing and clearing his throat. He waved his hand and a set of cameras hovered towards him and focused on him. Across the arena, his image was projected.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I do apologize for the sudden interruption during this match. I regret to inform you that the match will not be completed, but as you all can see, there was a clear winner. Now, the reason for this sudden interruption is to ensure the well-being of not only The Anomaly, but also your well-being. It appears that The Anomaly expelled too much Mana and there was a threat of a Realm Tear."

The crowd immediately became silent.

With that, Sasuke left the Premium Booth with Sakura in his arms and Hinata trailing behind them. Together, they made their way into one of the private suites that Toneri provided for his guests and once inside, Hinata shut and locked the door.

On the bed, Naruto lay curled up in the fetal position. Hinata quickly went to his side and wiped away the sweat that had collected on his forehead.

"Thanks to the two Guardians who were in attendance this evening – their names being Sir Uchiha Sasuke and Lady Hyuuga Hinata – they have prevented a tragedy from occurring here this evening," Toneri continued. "So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank them for their service to the Crown and to all of you. Now, we'll take a brief intermission and once I am sure all is resolved and safe, we shall continue with the evening's events."

"So, what do you want to do?" Hinata questioned as she gently ran her fingers through Naruto's hair. "Toneri already said that they can't identify what Race she belongs to."

Sasuke laid Sakura down on the lush couch in the room and sat on the coffee table. He stared down at her for a moment before he noticed the bandages on her right arm were slipping. Beneath them, he saw black markings. When he reached for her, he heard Sakura groan.

He looked at her and watched as her eye's fluttered open.

"What the?" Confused, Sasuke didn't react in time. Sakura tackled Sasuke to the ground and placed a powerful grip around his neck. However, Sasuke did move in time to produce a dagger from his sleeve and hold the blade against her neck.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hinata quickly leapt to her feet.

"Don't!" Sasuke urged.

"What did you do that for?" Sakura growled, completely unbothered by the dagger. "Do you have any idea how important that match was? Huh?"

"I could give less of a fuck about the importance of that match for you," Sasuke groaned. "You were about to cause a Realm Tear and I wasn't about to let that happen."

"Better a Realm Tear than me having to continue to suffer here," Sakura argued. "I needed the winnings from that match to finally buy my freedom! Do you have any idea what my life is like in here? It's a living hell and I've worked too damn hard to let a pompous ass like you screw that up for me!"

Sasuke swallowed and Sakura tightened her grip around his neck. He was starting to struggle, "Listen to me, Sakura. I won't pretend that I know what life has been like for you since you happened into Toneri's line of sight. I can only take a guess and I know that all of it had to be terrible for you."

Sakura felt her eyes begin to sting but she couldn't bring herself to squeeze any tighter.

"I had to stop that match not only for your safety but for the safety of everyone watching," Sasuke informed. "Realm Tears aren't something to be taken lightly. The last time one opened, an entire island was wiped out."

"Like I care," she snarled. "Because of you, I lost my chance to buy my freedom! Prince Toneri isn't going to even listen to me after what you did!"

"Toneri doesn't listen to anyone," Sasuke argued.

"Have her come with us."

Sakura looked up and saw Naruto sitting up on the bed. She was taken aback by his appearance. One of his eyes was transitioning into a red color with a slit pupil while one set of his whiskers were darkened, and a fang protruded from his mouth.

"Be careful," Hinata warned as she helped Naruto sit up and bring his legs over the edge of the bed.

"You want your freedom, don't you?" Naruto muttered as he stood and moved carefully towards them. "You'll get it if you come with us."

"Naruto," Sasuke spat.

"It's the only plausible solution. You aren't comfortable leaving her here because she runs the risks of opening up a Realm Tear and getting thousands of people killed," Naruto stated. "If she comes with us, you and Hinata can help her learn how to control her Mana. Once she's stable, you can release her to travel on her own knowing that she's no longer a danger to herself or others."

Sasuke eyed Naruto for a moment before looking at Hinata. She didn't seem too keen on the idea either but then he looked at Sakura and the look in her eyes seemed desperate for anything. He sighed and moved his dagger away from Sakura's neck. "Fine."

"Huh?" Sakura felt Sasuke take ahold of her wrist and as he squeezed, she released her grip on his neck.

Just then, the doorknob jiggled.

"Why is this door locked?" Toneri's voice came booming from the other side. "How much longer are you going to make me wait? If Sakura is fine, I'm going to have her continue to fight in another match to make up for the one you interrupted, Sasuke!"

Hinata made her way to the door and leaned against it. "Toneri, listen to me."

"What's going on?" Toneri didn't seem keen on waiting any longer.

"We're taking Sakura-chan with us," Hinata made her voice as sweet as she possibly could. "She isn't in any condition to continue fighting here in The Abyss. She's dangerous and until she's capable of controlling her Mana, she'll be coming with us."

There was a moment of silence before the doorknob jiggled violently joined with violent pounding. Hinata quickly moved away from the door. "Sasuke-kun."

"So, what do you say?" Naruto wore a warm smile despite his appearance. "Will you come with us?"

Sakura looked at Naruto for a moment. As she stood, she made sure to look Sasuke directly in his eyes, "Once I learn to control my Mana, you promise you'll let me go off on my own?"

"I promise," Sasuke assured her.

She looked towards the door where Toneri continued to pound and tried to get in. She looked back at Sasuke, "Fine. I'll join you."

Upon Sakura's agreeance, the door flew off the hinges and crashed through the window opposite of it. Behind Toneri, there was a large group of Wranglers, each of them large and wielding deadly weapons.

"Thanks for the invite Toneri," Sasuke said as he held out his hand and caught the staff that snapped into it, "but as we told you before, we're on a very tight schedule."

"Retrieve her!" Toneri ordered.

Sasuke tapped the edge of his staff against the ground twice and as Sakura looked down, she saw a large magic circle appear below them. "Until next time." Sasuke waved and when the magic circle transitioned into a scene, the four of them fell through.

 **To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Last Time:**

 _ **Sakura looked at Naruto for a moment. As she stood, she made sure to look Sasuke directly in his eyes, "Once I learn to control my Mana, you promise you'll let me go off on my own?"**_

 _ **"I promise," Sasuke assured her.**_

 _ **She looked towards the door where Toneri continued to pound and tried to get in. She looked back at Sasuke, "Fine. I'll join you."**_

 _ **Upon Sakura's agreeance, the door flew off the hinges and crashed through the window opposite of it. Behind Toneri, there was a large group of Wranglers, each of them large and wielding deadly weapons.**_

 _ **"Thanks for the invite Toneri," Sasuke said as he held out his hand and caught the staff that snapped into it, "but as we told you before, we're on a very tight schedule."**_

 _ **"Retrieve her!" Toneri ordered.**_

 _ **Sasuke tapped the edge of his staff against the ground twice and as Sakura looked down, she saw a large magic circle appear below them. "Until next time." Sasuke waved and when the magic circle transitioned into a scene, the four of them fell through.**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 2 – The Great Escape**

It took a second for Sakura to realize that they were falling. She braced herself as they crashed through treetops and broke through branches before they finally crashed into the ground. She, along with the rest of them, groaned in pain at their landing.

"Where were you aiming?" Hinata groaned as she sat up and plucked leaves out of her hair.

Sasuke rubbed his backside, "I was aiming for the city."

"Obviously you weren't if we ended up in the Labyrinth," Sakura grumbled as she stood up and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sakura as he got to his feet.

Sakura returned the glare, "Huh? So instead of admitting that you're a lousy Sorcerer, you want to pick a fight with me instead? Can you be anymore pathetic?"

"Hey, hey." Naruto got up and stood between the two of them. "We don't have time for the two of you to get into an argument right now. Sakura-chan, you mentioned that this was the Labyrinth?"

Sakura sucked her teeth and folded her arms across her chest, "Yeah. It's the forest surrounding The Abyss. Prince Toneri enchanted these woods to ensure that any of us who are forced to fight in The Abyss can't make it to the beach. Unless you're on the main road, it's impossible to get out."

"Of course Toneri would make something this annoying," Sasuke mumbled as he looked to Hinata. "Why are you engaged to him?"

"You say that like I had a choice." Hinata wasn't the least bit amused.

Before any of them could utter another word, Naruto darted forward into the bush. What followed were shrieks of terrors paired with the ripping of metal and blood curdling screams. Sakura didn't have time to react to what was happening as Sasuke grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked. "I already told you that this place is impossible to get out of unless you're on the main road. We're going to be running around in circles until the Wranglers surround us."

"They'll have to try and catch us first," Hinata said as they continued to run.

Suddenly, Hinata stopped running and moved out of Sakura's way. She quickly pulled her back and they both fell back as a powerful burst of flames jutted by where they once stood. Hinata was back on her feet first as she removed her staff from her back and used it to parry the blade of a Wrangler three times her size.

In the next instant, Sakura watched as Hinata's skin changed green and her hair turned brown. Before the Wrangler could react, vines jutted out of the ground and wrapped themselves tightly around him. They continued to wrap themselves around him until he was practically a vine-wrapped mummy.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked. Just a few feet in front of him lay three more unconscious Wranglers.

"We're fine," Hinata assured her as she returned to normal.

Sakura was going to answer as well but she quickly rolled out of the way of another Wrangler's massive hammer. She returned to her feet and saw the place where she was a moment ago was now rubble. She gritted her teeth and glared at the Wrangle in front of them. "You guys are persistent."

"You're coming back with me, Anomaly," the Wrangler insisted.

Sakura lunged forward towards the hammer-wielding Wrangler and quickly dodged out of the way of its swing. She landed a punch in his gut but her own hand cracked. She howled out in pain as she stumbled back and held her hand.

"Did you really think that we didn't have a countermeasure for you?" the Wrangler questioned as his entire body turned metallic. "Lord Toneri's request was that we bring you back alive through any means necessary."

"I regret to inform you that that won't be happening," Hinata hissed as she stood in front of Sakura. "We already told Toneri that she's coming with us. Now whether he likes it or not, that's just the reality of the situation. I request that you step down before we have to hurt you too."

"With all due respect Lady Hyuuga," the Wrangler smirked, "it's Lord Toneri who pays me."

With that, the Wrangler brought his hammer down against the ground and caused the earth to quake. Sakura, Hinata, and Sasuke lost their footing as the ground shook beneath them and the Wrangler used it as an opportunity.

He hit Sakura square on and sent her tumbling through several trees until she smacked into a boulder. As she hit the ground, she didn't have time to recompose herself as the Wrangler was on her again. All she could do was cross her arms and brace for the force of his hammer crashing down on her. She cried out in pain as she was forced deep into the ground.

The Wrangler raised his hammer above his head to hit her again, but he quickly jumped out of the way of a fast-moving vine. Sakura's vision was blurred because of the pain but she watched as the Wrangler leapt over Sakura. She could hear the shattering of trees and the could feel the breaking of ground as it vibrated through the earth and reached her.

Slowly, she forced herself up. Her vision cleared to see Hinata and Sasuke dodging the hammer-wielding Wrangler who, despite his size, was quick on his feet. She kept her eyes fixed on the Wrangler for a few moments and when she took a deep breath, she felt her body begin to heal.

As she healed, she watched as Sasuke knocked the Wrangler's hammer from his grasp and aimed the tip of his staff at the Wrangler's chest. However, a disappointingly small red magic circle formed, and meek flames sputtered out. The Wrangler smirked and back handed Sasuke through several trees before retrieving his hammer.

"I'm starting to believe that the stories about you aren't the least bit true," the Wrangler chuckled as he put his hammer on his shoulder. "Well, not like it matters. Now then, where was I?"

Before Sakura could lunge forward, the Wrangler grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her off the ground. She kicked at his chest, but he didn't budge beneath the force of her blows.

"You must still be exhausted from your previous match against Essek," the Wrangler claimed as he raised Sakura higher into the air before slamming her into the ground.

Sakura cried out and grabbed his arm as tight as she could. As he began to tighten his grip around her throat, she could feel herself begin to lose consciousness. She tried kicking at his legs, but they reverberated in pain with each blow.

"Shh," he cooed, "just be a good girl and go to sleep. Everything will be back to normal when you wake up, I promise."

As Sakura felt her body begin to give up, she saw the Wrangler be tackled. With her throat free, she rolled over onto her side as she coughed and gasped for air. When she looked up, her eyes widened at the sight of a large fox tearing away at the Wrangler.

He struggled to protect himself as the fox's claws pierced his skin and tore away at his flesh. He tried punching at the fox, but the fox remained unphased by each blow. As the Wrangler swung, the fox burrowed its teeth into his arm and tore it away with ease. The more the Wrangler struggled, the more injuries he sustained. Fed up, the fox latched his jaw around the Wrangler's head and in one swift motion, removed it clean from his shoulders.

When the fox turned and looked at Sakura, she sat still, frozen in fear.

"Naruto!"

Ahead of the fox, Sasuke emerged from the woods with Hinata in his arms. She was injured but conscious. Sakura watched as the fox quickly approached Sasuke and kneeled in front of him. With Sasuke's help, Hinata pulled herself up onto its back and held onto a fistful of its fur.

"Wait," Sakura stood up, still trembling, "that's Naruto?"

"Come on," Sasuke urged as he bit his thumb and placed it against the ground. Sakura watched as a magic circle appeared just below Sasuke before they were surrounded by a burst of white smoke.

She coughed and waved the smoke away and as her vision cleared, she saw a blue-scaled wall in front of her.

"Aoda," Sasuke called. "Hold them off!"

"As you wish, milord."

As the scaled wall moved, Sakura jumped out of the way. When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of Aoda's face just before he buried his head into the ground and slithered away. She didn't have time to process it properly though as Sasuke grabbed ahold of her wrist and pulled her towards Naruto.

"We don't have time for you to gawk." Sasuke lifted Sakura up and helped her onto Naruto's back before climbing up as well. "Naruto let's go."

As Naruto dashed forward, Sakura grabbed a fistful of his fur and held on as tight as she could. With ease, Naruto weaved through the trees and as they moved further and further, they could hear the shouting of Wranglers grow louder.

"We can't afford another fight," Sasuke claimed. "Keep moving!"

Naruto began to move faster. Suddenly, Naruto quickly darted to the right and seconds later, a smoldering boulder whizzed pass them and crashed into the ground. He continued to dodge boulder after boulder, each one of them barely missing them by a hair. As they passed, Sakura could feel the heat as they and more than once, they were too close for comfort.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted.

Her warning came seconds too late as Naruto burst through the edge of the woods. He'd run straight off a cliff and they were suspended in mid-air for several seconds before they began to fall. As everyone lost their grip on Naruto, he morphed back into his Human self.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called as he took ahold of Hinata's arm and pulled her into him.

"I got it!" Sasuke quickly removed his staff from his back and aimed it down towards the tree tops. A large magic circle appeared that quickly revealed a new scene. As they dove through, the circle closed behind them and they dove into a large body of water.

It took a moment for Sakura to compose herself before she swam up towards the surface. She gasped and coughed and saw Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto emerge shortly after she did. She looked around and, in the distance, she saw the island that was home to The Abyss.

"Everyone okay?" Sasuke asked as he spit out some water and wiped his face.

"As okay as I can be," Hinata answered.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked.

"A few miles away from the main island," Sakura answered as she nodded towards the brightly lit city in the distance. "It's maybe two or three miles from here."

"You couldn't put us closer towards the beach?" Hinata complained.

"Better deep waters rather than shallow waters," Sasuke argued.

"Hang on." Naruto took a deep breath before diving down beneath the surface.

As they waited, Sakura felt herself begin to shiver and she heard her teeth begin to chatter. She tried her best to hide how cold she was, but nothing worked.

"Hang in there," Hinata encouraged.

After about five minutes, something emerged from the water just behind Sakura. When she turned around, she saw an undamaged boat floating on the surface. Naruto came up just after it did, and he climbed into it.

He pulled Sakura in first before pulling in Hinata, and lastly Sasuke. Once everyone was in, Naruto placed his hand on top of the motor and Sakura watched as the palm of Naruto's hand glowed a dull yellow color. As the motor jolted to life, Naruto guided the boat towards the city's shoreline.

"So, you can mend shipwrecked boats," Sakura muttered as she continued to shiver. "And you turn into an overgrown fox. Anything else I should know?"

"Not at the moment," Naruto answered with a smile.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone," Sasuke muttered as he looked at Hinata.

Hinata narrowed her eyes at him, "I wasn't exactly keen on going myself, but you know Toneri was going to keep bombarding us with invitations until we went. Not only that, had he found out we were already in the city and _didn't_ stop by, I wouldn't have heard the end of it."

"I'm surprised you cared enough to try and appease him," Sasuke admitted.

She rolled her eyes, "It's not like I did it because I wanted to. I don't like Toneri any more than you do. So, if I can avoid having to hear him complain about something it, I'll do what I can."

"If you hate Toneri so much, why are you engaged to him?" Sakura questioned.

"Because politics, that's why," Hinata sighed. "The Hyuuga Clan and the Outsutsuki Clan are cousins. It's a tradition for our clans to practice interclan marriage to keep the bloodline pure and make sure the Byakugan and Tenseigan stay within our families. But, for whatever reason, Queen Mother decided that for the first time in almost three thousand years, a Hyuuga and an Outsutsuki are to marry. Unfortunately for me, I'm the eldest daughter of the Main Branch of the Hyuuga Clan and therefore, I was chosen and because Toneri is next in line to succeed the throne, he was chosen. Thus, our engagement was arranged."

"Another question," Sakura rubbed her arms to attempt to generate some heat but with her being drenched and being subjected to wind, she wasn't getting warm anytime soon, "why aren't you off being Nobles? Aren't you supposed to be attending fancy parties and eating expensive food and drinking wine?"

Sasuke scoffed, "Do you really have such a narrowminded opinion of Nobles?"

"The only Nobles I've ever met were all friends of Prince Toneri," Sakura reminded him.

Sasuke shrugged, "Okay, I get it."

"They're Guardians," Naruto answered for both Hinata and Sasuke.

"So I've heard, but I don't know what a Guardian is," Sakura confessed. "As far as I know, you're the only two Guardians I've met."

"Basically, Guardians are members of Noble families like the Uchiha or the Hyuuga who are tasked with maintaining the Outsutsuki Clan's image in the eyes of the people," Sasuke explained. "We travel around and handle any issues that cities, towns, or villages may be experiencing, and we are to say that we do it all in the name of the Outsutsuki Clan."

"Sounds like something the Outsutsuki Clan would do," Sakura spat.

Hinata shrugged, "In the beginning, it was tough. Especially since the Guardians are chosen at random since no one ever really volunteers for the job. Well, I volunteered because I didn't want to get married to Toneri."

"That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" Sakura thought about what she said and shook her head. "Never mind. I get it."

"It's not all bad though," Hinata confessed. "Being Nobles, Sasuke and I didn't exactly get the chance to travel beyond the city limits because of the constant threat of being kidnapped and held for ransom. But, as Guardians, we must undergo special training before we're allowed to start our Guardianships. I've been a Guardian for almost four years now."

"And I'm working on five," Sasuke added.

"We're here," Naruto announced as he killed the boat's motor and allowed them to drift towards the shoreline. It nestled into the wet sand before Naruto jumped out and pushed the boat the rest of the way onto the beach.

He helped Hinata out and when Sakura climbed out, he saw that all she really had left of her rags were the bandages she used to bind her chest and cover her below her waist. Sasuke noticed as well and without saying a word, he removed his cloak and draped it over Sakura's shoulders before clipping it in the front.

"We won't be able to stay in the city long," Hinata reminded them. "We probably have thirty to forty-five minutes before Wranglers show up and start asking around about Sakura-chan."

"We'll move quickly," Sasuke assured her before pulling the hood over Sakura's head. "Keep your head down. We'll find an inn and lay low until we can catch the next ferry out of here in the morning."

"You can't really expect an innkeeper here to keep their mouths shut if a Wrangler comes around asking about me," Sakura argued. "Unless you have more money than Toneri, there's nothing keeping them from saying something."

"Don't worry about that," Sasuke said before looking at Hinata and Naruto. "Hinata, are you okay to walk?"

"For a little while at least," Hinata confessed.

"We'll try and find someplace quickly," Sasuke assured her before nodded towards the slope that led up to a busy market. "Come on, let's go."

From there, they made their way off the beach headed towards the heart of the city. As they walked, Sakura took in the city that she hadn't seen since she was something to be sold five years ago. It was just a crowded and just as busy as the day Toneri stumbled upon the auction that Sakura was being sold in.

"Hang on," Hinata slowed down and made her way to a nearby stand that sold light armor. She spoke with the stand attendant briefly before pointing out several pieces that the attendant happily gathered together.

"What're you doing?" Sasuke complained. "Didn't you just buy new equipment?"

"This isn't for me," Hinata called back. Once she paid, she made her way back to them and held the pile of armor out to Sakura, "It's for her."

"What? Why?" Sakura asked.

"You don't honestly expect me to let you walk around in bandages, do you? This'll keep you protected and _clothed_ until we find something more suitable for you." Hinata pushed the clothes into Sakura's chest and she took ahold of them.

Sakura looked down at them for a moment before looking at Hinata, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Hinata smiled in return.

They managed to find an inn tucked away deep in the city and far away from the shoreline. Naruto was the one to charm the innkeeper, but it was really the promise of paying triple the fee that really encouraged the woman to stay quiet about their checking in.

"Do you think Toneri is going to run to Queen Mother about what we did?" Sasuke asked as he plopped down on the loveseat in the room and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"There's no doubt that he will," Hinata complained as she sat on the edge of one of their beds. "It's really just a matter of when at this point. I don't doubt that Queen Mother will tell us to return Sakura to Toneri but once we refuse, then that's where the real issues begin."

"You think that's where they begin?" Naruto questioned as he sat in the plush chair and scratched the back of his head.

"It was your idea that we bring Sakura along," Sasuke reminded Naruto. "You couldn't have expected things to go smoothly when dealing with someone like Toneri. We'll be lucky if we can get out of the city before Toneri goes running to Queen Mother about this."

"I doubt Toneri is going to go through anymore trouble to get me," Sakura spoke up and they all looked at her. "It won't be that hard for Toneri to find a new champion to fight for him in The Abyss. There are plenty of other's there who are just as strong as I am that are capable of taking over my title."

"It's not that simple when it comes to Toneri," Hinata argued. "He's very much like a child when it comes to his possessions. As messed up as it's going to sound, you _were_ Toneri's property and the fact that we brought you along with us _against_ his wishes, he's going to do what he can to get you back. And it most likely won't be because he values you, it'll be because he has labeled you as another one of his things."

Sakura sighed, "Fantastic. So, it's inevitable that I'll end up back in The Abyss."

"We never said that," Sasuke corrected her. "Look, I was serious when I agreed to Naruto's somewhat idiotic idea of Hinata and I training you to control your Mana. As I said before, Realm Tears are serious and if there's anything I can do to prevent one from forming, I'm going to do it."

Sakura pursed her lips together. "Do you think it's possible?"

"It's possible," Hinata answered. "Though it may be hard in the beginning because we don't know the full extent of your abilities but overtime, we'll figure it out. Though I will admit, very few people have Mana Reserves as large as yours."

"Is it really that uncommon?" Sakura asked.

"The only other individual I can think of with a Mana Reserve your size would be Queen Mother Katrina herself," Hinata confessed. "It may be part of the reason why Toneri has kept you so long because you are powerful but because you can't control your Mana output, you aren't nearly as powerful as you can be."

"And don't go getting any ideas about attempting to assassinate Toneri or any of his friends," Sasuke warned. "I don't like Toneri as much as the next person but killing a member of the Royal Family is going to make your life much harder and you won't have that freedom you want so badly."

"Can we stop talking about Toneri?" Naruto requested.

"I agree," Hinata chimed.

"Me too," Sasuke agreed.

"Here," Hinata stood up and removed Sasuke's cloak from Sakura's shoulders. "You should shower first and get changed. It'll be troublesome if you catch a cold."

"Oh…right." Sakura hadn't realized she'd been clutching the clothes Hinata gave her as tight as she was. When she relaxed, she saw a few indents in her skin from the clothes. She made her way into the bathroom and when she shut the door, she turned the lock.

She looked around the bathroom and marveled at how clean it was. In the Barracks, the Fighters were left to clean the facilities themselves, but they were never provided with any kind of cleaning products and just spraying things with water only did so much.

She walked over to the shower and pulled up the display on the glass door. She put in her settings and as the water came down, she pulled off what rags remain and began to free herself from her bandages. Once inside, she enjoyed the feeling of hot water.

Sakura wasn't sure how long she was in there, but she was careful when scrubbing away all the dirt, blood, and sweat from her skin and hair. She practically rubbed herself raw by the time she was done and when she stepped out, she wiped the steam away from the mirror and looked at herself.

She barely recognized herself. Her skin, now clean, was a smooth cream color. Her hair was a brighter pink now that it was clean, and it reached just below her shoulders. She took herself in for a few moments before putting on the clothes Hinata had bought her.

The pants flowed comfortable around her legs which gave her room to move and came in at the ankle so that they weren't a nuisance. She pulled on the large belt that latched in the front with long pouches that came down on either side. Despite the size, it was lightweight, and she didn't feel hindered. She pulled on the top that left her shoulders and midriffed exposed. She adjusted the hood that connected at the base of the shirt and again at the neck. Lastly, she pulled on set of fingerless gloves. Luckily for her, the right glove stretched to her elbow and covered up the markings on her forearm. She pulled on the left one and flexed her hands to adjust the fit.

"Sakura-chan?" Hinata called.

Sakura took a deep breath. She opened the bathroom door and saw Hinata standing on the other side in fresh clothes. "Sorry."

"It fit!" Hinata exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried that I might've picked up the wrong size. I'm glad. Do you like it?"

Sakura looked herself over once more before giving Hinata a genuine smile, "I love it. Thank you."

Hinata smiled in return.

"Sakura," Sasuke was still lounging on the loveseat but was also wearing fresh clothes, "I have a question?"

"What is it?" Sakura asked, slightly irritated with Sasuke's tone.

He pointed to her right arm, "What're you hiding?"

 **To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Last Time:**

 _ **"Sakura-chan?" Hinata called.**_

 _ **Sakura took a deep breath. She opened the bathroom door and saw Hinata standing on the other side in fresh clothes. "Sorry."**_

 _ **"It fit!" Hinata exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried that I might've picked up the wrong size. I'm glad. Do you like it?"**_

 _ **Sakura looked herself over once more before giving Hinata a genuine smile, "I love it. Thank you."**_

 _ **Hinata smiled in return.**_

 _ **"Sakura," Sasuke was still lounging on the loveseat but was also wearing fresh clothes, "I have a question?"**_

 _ **"What is it?" Sakura asked, slightly irritated with Sasuke's tone.**_

 _ **He pointed to her right arm, "What're you hiding?"**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 3 – Interference**

"I'm not hiding anything." Sakura held her right arm behind her back which just encouraged Sasuke to stand to his feet and cross the room. When he made it to where Sakura stood, his eyes burrowed into her like they had when they met earlier that evening.

"Don't play me for a fool," Sasuke warned, his voice stern. "You didn't tackle me like you did back at The Abyss because you were startled by me. You attacked me because I was about to unwrap the bandages you kept around your arm. Now, I'll ask you again and this will be the _last_ time I ask you: what are you hiding?"

"You can't exactly expect me to divulge secrets to you when there's still a lot I don't know about any of you," Sakura argued. "How can you expect me to be open and honest with you when you're all still complete strangers to me? For all I know, you could've just said all that stuff to get me out of The Abyss and have me fight for you instead. You might even just sell me."

"Selling you is starting to sound like a good idea," Sasuke sneered.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hinata pulled Sasuke away from Sakura. "I think we've all had a pretty rough night, so I think it's best if we just got some rest and figured out things in the morning, okay?"

Sakura watched as Sasuke and Hinata shared a look before he pulled his arm away from Hinata and made his way over to one of the beds. He chose the one closes to the window and when he laid down, he kept his back turned to the others in the room.

Hinata let out a heavy sigh in response before looking at Sakura, "Try and get some rest if you can."

Sakura simply nodded and watched as Hinata walked over to the other bed in the room and sat on the edge of it. Over in the lounge chair, Naruto had his eyes fixated on a scroll that appeared worn either from use or years. She stood awkwardly by the door before making her way to the couch. When she sat down, she saw Naruto glance up at her before looking back at the scroll.

"Naruto make sure you get some sleep," Hinata said as she reached over and turned off the lamps between her and Sasuke's bed before lying down. "And Sakura-chan, if you don't want to sleep on the couch, you can share the bed with me. It's large enough for the two of us."

"I'll think about it," Sakura said.

"Good night," Naruto said as he continued to read.

For a while, Naruto and Sakura sat in silence. Naruto silently read while Sakura seemed to study every nook and cranny of the room. When there were sudden loud noises from outside, Sakura would look towards the window and a look of worry would fill her eyes. She'd stare for a while and once her nerves settled, she'd go back to studying the room.

"Naruto," Sakura spoke as she turned her attention to him, "can I ask you a question?"

"Hm?" Naruto didn't look away from what he was reading.

Sakura was silent for a few moments. Because of this, Naruto looked up from his scroll and saw the look in her eyes. She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, "It's nothing. I'm just a little uneasy."

Naruto smiled a bit as he rolled up his scroll and latched it shut, "That's fair. I'm sure you didn't expect your day to end like this, but neither did the rest of us so I guess we're all a little on edge."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I guess after convincing myself that I'd die in The Abyss, it's a little jarring to suddenly be outside of it and actually believing in the promise of being free."

"I thought you said you were going to buy your freedom with the earnings from your last match?" Naruto asked.

Sakura scoffed, "Let's face it, Toneri wasn't going to go for it. At best, he would've let me come here to buy clothes or something but there's no way he would've let me leave there."

Naruto watched Sakura for a moment, "It was tough, wasn't it? Being in The Abyss for so long?"

Sakura didn't answer right away. She couldn't count the amount of times she thought about every single day she spent in The Abyss from her very first day to last night. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Where are you from?"

Naruto wore a small smile but there was an obvious sadness that filled his eyes, "I'm from a small cluster of islands."

Sakura studied Naruto's expression for a bit. She let out a heavy sigh as she brought her legs up to her chest, "You know, I wasn't always Toneri's property? Before I ended up stranded in the Land of Water, I used to travel all over the place. Say, have you heard of Crescent Island?"

"It sounds familiar."

There was a sudden light in Sakura's eyes and a hint of a smile on her lips, "It's a small island in the middle of nowhere. On that island, there's The Village Hidden under the Moon and at night, they had the most beautiful skies. Hundreds of thousands of stars would light up the sky every night and I would fall asleep under those stars every night. Which was funny considering that the people were far from beautiful."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Crescent Island is practically a safe zone for Pirates," Sakura explained. "It's where they go to buy, sell, and trade treasures and such. The island's actually ruled by a Pirate King and despite what people assume of Pirates, they're pretty cordial. Well, when they're not plastered, they're cordial."

Naruto chuckled, "It sounds like it'd been an interesting place for a kid to grow up."

"It was," Sakura admitted. "When I was little, I used to run around and pickpocket people in the market during peak hours so that if anyone ever felt me digging around their pocket or tugging on their coin purse, I could slip away in the crowd. I actually caused a couple of fights."

"Were you ever caught?"

Sakura nodded, "Once. But that was my own fault because I wasn't paying attention to whose pocket I was picking. I had been on a roll all afternoon to the point where I didn't bother to check faces. If I saw a pocket or a coin purse, I was going for it. I saw one man who had put his wallet in his back pocket and it wasn't all the way tucked away which meant it was an easy grab.

"So, without thinking, I went for it. But, before I could even grab his wallet, he had grabbed my wrist and raised me in the air like a ragdoll," Sakura chuckled at the memory. "I was terrified. Not only because I was caught but because it was the Pirate King himself."

"Bold," Naruto complimented.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "It was. I thought I was done for but instead, he put me down and squatted down so we were eye to eye and with this huge grin said, 'So you're the thief whose been running around here.' I wasn't sure why he was smiling but then he rubbed the top of my head. No one had done that to me, so I wasn't sure how to react or what to do so I just stood there.

"When he stopped, he stood up and said, 'Come with me' and when I should've been running the other direction, I ended up following him through the market. He shopped around for a bit buying clothes, food, weapons, and even a few treasures before finally stopping in a popular meat shop that sat at the edge of the market. I never had enough money to buy meat from the lady who ran the shop and she never let me inside because she knew I was stealing.

"So, when we went in and she saw me, she was ready to throw me out but the Pirate King simply nudged me forward and told me to pick whatever I wanted. So, I did and when she priced everything, he paid for it and handed it off to me. 'Make sure you don't eat too fast or you'll upset your stomach,' he said before he rubbed my head again and left the shop."

Tears began to threaten Sakura's eyes, but she was determined to hold them back. She took a deep breath before wiping away the tears that had yet to fall. "One part of me at the time was telling me to just leave with what I had but another part told me to go after him, and so I did. Funny enough, when I ran outside, he was waiting by the door. Waiting. Like he had expected me to come running out after him. He looked at me and said, 'Do you want to come home with me' and from then on out, he took care of me."

"You weren't worried anymore about what would've happened to you had he chose to punish you for stealing?" Naruto asked.

Sakura shook her head, "Not at all. Something about how he treated me told me that he wasn't the least bit worried about enacting any kind of punishment on me. I think he was more concerned about the child he'd heard that was running around and stealing money so that she could eat rather than the thief who'd been pickpocketing in the market."

"That's lucky," Naruto admitted.

Sakura nodded, "From there, life was great. He took me everywhere with me and always made sure I was clean and that I was fed. When he would travel, he would take me with him and while he steered his ship, he let me sit on his shoulders the whole time. And at night when we were in the middle of the ocean, he would point up at the stars and say, 'No matter how far apart we may be, I want you always to remember – "

" – that you can look up at the moon and the stars and know I'm looking up at them too," Naruto finished her statement.

"How…how do you know that?" Sakura asked.

Naruto pursed his lips together. He wore a bit of a saddened expression on his face and Sakura watched as he reached his hand into his shirt and pulled out a brilliant blue stone necklace. "My mother…she would tell me that all the time before…before…"

Sakura watched as Naruto placed a strong grip around the stone, "What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing...it's late. We should get some rest. It's been a long day."

He got up from where he sat and made his way to where Sasuke's slept. Quietly, Naruto laid down in the space beside Sasuke and closed his eyes. Sakura sat there in silence for a little while before finally lying down on the couch. As she let out a heavy sigh, she stared up at the ceiling and for a moment, she thought about the brilliant skies that she stared up at as a child. The thought of staring up at those same stars seemed to calm her nerves and it wasn't long before Sakura was sleep.

Meanwhile in The Abyss, Toneri's office was subjected to a severe temper tantrum while a Wrangler stood by the door, terrified and trembling. When a vase shattered by his head, he flinched and when he opened his eyes, he saw Toneri glaring at him with glowing turquoise eyes.

"Leave!" Toneri demanded and the Wrangler scurried out without saying a word. He let out a frustrated roar before plopping down on his now tattered couch. He sat there fuming for a few minutes before he heard a light knock at the door. "Go away!"

"Is that any way to talk to your cousin?"

Toneri leapt off the couch but before he could get to the door, it opened. He watched as his younger cousin, Outsutsuki Naoto, walked into the room and whistled at the sight of the destroyed office. Much like Toneri, Naoto had the trademark porcelain white skin, but he had the pale eyes of the Outsutsuki.

"What happened in here?" Naoto questioned as he let the door shut behind him. "Did you have another temper tantrum? Don't tell me, Auntie Kaguya finally told you no?"

"Shut up," Toneri snarled.

Naoto snickered before taking a better look around the office, "I feel sorry for whoever has to clean all of this up."

"What're you doing here?"

"Me? I came to watch a couple of matches but when I got here, there wasn't a fight going on," Naoto began as he began to walk around the room, "and then I hear from one of your Wranglers that you even had to postpone the matches temporarily because the threat of a Realm Tear?"

Toneri simply continued to watch Naoto.

"So, what's going on?" Naoto asked as he took a seat at Toneri's desk and propped his feet up. "Did one of your Fighters get out of hand?"

"In a way," Toneri mumbled. "Is anyone else with you?"

"No," he grinned, "just me. Umeko and Hibiki are off doing lord knows what while Katasuke, Minami, and Banri decided to join Urashiki for the night."

"Urashiki? He's back?"

"He just returned earlier this evening. He was interested in coming to The Abyss as well but Katasuke and Banri convinced him otherwise." Naoto shrugged, "Which I believe is lucky for you because had Urashiki seen this and heard of what was happening, then he surely would've run to Auntie Kaguya first to rat you out. Though, I don't think he'd know what he'd been ratting you out about. So, what happened?"

Toneri sucked his teeth, "It's none of your business."

Naoto smiled, "No. I suppose it isn't. Though it won't be long before Auntie Kaguya hears about this and then she's going to be the one coming to you with questions and you're going to have to answer her. After all, you wouldn't want to fall out of her good graces so soon after you've been named her successor. You'd lose the throne, the crown, and your fiancée."

Toneri gritted his teeth. He let out a frustrated sigh before running his fingers through his hair and making his way to his desk. "The Anomaly, she was taken."

"Oh? Taken? By who?"

Toneri hesitated to answer, "Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata."

Naoto turned around in his chair to face Toneri. He was silent for a moment before busting out in delighted laughter. He laughed until his stomach hurt and there were tears in his eyes, "Are you serious? You can't be serious? Oh, that's rich. That's absolutely rich! Your fiancée and her boyfriend stole the Anomaly from you?"

"This isn't something to laugh at."

"Oh, but I believe it is," Naoto countered. "They probably took her because she was threatening to cause a Realm Tear? Is that it? Honestly, you know how dutiful Sasuke and Hinata is when it comes to their roles as Guardians, what did you expect to happen?"

"I tried to convince them that there was nothing for them to worry about, but they wouldn't listen," Toneri argued. "I sent Wranglers after them, but they failed to retrieve them. Now they're somewhere on the main island and no one can find them."

"Kiri City is a crowded place," Naoto admitted. "Well, you've lost a Fighter. It's not that big of a deal. There are plenty of able-bodied individuals here who are capable of replacing the Anomaly as your Champion."

"That's not the issue," Toneri groaned. "Queen Mother made it perfectly clear that the Anomaly was to stay here in The Abyss and in my possession. And she made it _perfectly_ clear that she wasn't to leave my possession or else there would be consequences."

Naoto rolled his eyes, "Please, Auntie Kaguya isn't going to enact any kind of punishment on her favorite. Just tell her what happened, and she'll do what she can to solve the problem before things get too out of hand."

"Things are already out of hand!" Toneri shouted. "I have Wranglers in the city and they are searching every nook and cranny of the place. There's still a few hours before the ferry arrives so we have some time."

"Do you think they'll find them before they can get on the ferry and be off towards the mainland?" Naoto asked.

"They have to."

"That's not what I asked you."

Toneri didn't answer.

Naoto chuckled, "I suggest you go ahead and tell Auntie Kaguya now before it's too late. Once they hit the mainland, it's going to be next to impossible to find them."

 **To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I'm so glad you guys liked the edit! I didn't try to change it too much, I just wanted to polish it a bit. The reason I'm so careful with this story is because I want this to be a legitimate novel I publish in the coming years (as soon as I write more of it). I obviously won't be using the Naruto characters and things will be _slightly_ different. So, please! I _highly_ encourage you to leave **reviews** and let me know what you think. Detailed responses welcomed!

 **Last Time:**

 _ **"That's not the issue," Toneri groaned. "Queen Mother made it perfectly clear that the Anomaly was to stay here in The Abyss and in my possession. And she made it perfectly clear that she wasn't to leave my possession or else there would be consequences."**_

 _ **Naoto rolled his eyes, "Please, Auntie Kaguya isn't going to enact any kind of punishment on her favorite. Just tell her what happened, and she'll do what she can to solve the problem before things get too out of hand."**_

 _ **"Things are already out of hand!" Toneri shouted. "I have Wranglers in the city and they are searching every nook and cranny of the place. There's still a few hours before the ferry arrives so we have some time."**_

 _ **"Do you think they'll find them before they can get on the ferry and be off towards the mainland?" Naoto asked.**_

 _ **"They have to."**_

 _ **"That's not what I asked you."**_

 _ **Toneri didn't answer.**_

 _ **Naoto chuckled, "I suggest you go ahead and tell Auntie Kaguya now before it's too late. Once they hit the mainland, it's going to be next to impossible to find them."**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 4 – Outsutsuki**

She let out a heavy sigh as she sat at her vanity and carefully brushed her flowing white hair. She wore a bored expression on her face as she continued to brush, each stroke careful and precise. When she heard a knock on the door, she let out a slightly annoyed sighed before putting down her brush and looking towards the door, "Yes, what is it?"

"Queen Mother," a timid voice barely came through the set of large double doors, "Prince Toneri has arrived home and wishes to speak with you. Shall I allow him entry into your chamber or shall I have him wait elsewhere for you?"

She lit up at the sound of his name, "Send him in."

As she stood up from her bench, she seemed to glide across the floor towards the doors. The large double doors creaked open and Toneri slipped in. She watched as he carefully shut the door behind him but as they clicked shut, she pulled him into his breasts. She let out a satisfied sigh as she laced her fingers through his hair and breathed in his sent.

"Toneri," she breathed. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Queen Mother," Toneri pulled himself away from her and looked up at her, "I need to speak with you."

She pouted, "Can't we speak later? I haven't seen you in so long."

Toneri let out a heavy sigh as her lips found his neck and began to plant butterfly kisses against it. "Queen Mother, please. It's urgent."

"You know I hate it when you address me like that when we're alone," she whined as she looked at him.

Toneri sighed, "Lady Kaguya." He saw the slight twinge on her face, "It's about the Anomaly."

That was enough to make Kaguya's mood change entirely. She pulled herself away from Toneri and she watched him with sterner eyes. Despite her lavender eyes being pupil-less, they still bore through him. "What about the Anomaly?"

Toneri hesitated to answer as he shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. He cleared his throat and tried to straighten his back but something about her glare made his spine crumble. "There was an incident at The Abyss."

Kaguya took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She turned her back to Toneri and seemed to be trying to compose herself before she heard anything more. "Continue," she demanded as she kept her back turned to Toneri.

"Well…," he let out a shaky breath, "Hinata and Sasuke came to the arena this evening to partake in some matches per my invitations. I had invited Hinata multiple times in the past but because she is a Guardian, it makes it difficult for her to enjoy leisure time from time to time."

"Toneri!" Kaguya snapped.

"They took the Anomaly!" Toneri informed her. He clenched his eyes shut and braced himself for what was to come next, but nothing came. Carefully, he opened his eyes and when he saw Kaguya facing him, her expression made his blood run cold. "I sent Wranglers after them to recover her, but they failed and now they're in Kiri City and the Wranglers haven't found them yet. They're still searching so I haven't lost hope in the possibility of recovering the Anomaly and returning her to The Abyss."

"What was my one request of you, Toneri?" Kaguya snarled.

Toneri shivered at the sound of her voice. "You requested that the Anomaly doesn't leave The Abyss or my possession," he whimpered.

"Speak up!"

"You request that the Anomaly doesn't leave The Abyss or my possession!" Toneri answered. As soon as his statement was complete, Kaguya's hand was wrapped around his neck and she was lifted off the ground. He gasped for arm and grabbed her arm. "Q-Queen Mother."

"One _simple_ request and you couldn't do it?" Kaguya sounded baffled. "How do you let some lowlifes like Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke take something away from _you_. From me! Huh? What the hell happened that you couldn't enact your superiority over them to keep the Anomaly in your possession and in that goddamn arena?!"

Toneri gasped, "I'm sorry Queen Mother! Everything happened so quickly and there wasn't much I could do! I didn't want to harm Hinata!"

Kaguya scoffed, "Hinata? The fact that you would put that cunt ahead of your responsibilities to me is astonishing Toneri. Do you understand how easy it is to get rid of someone as worthless as her? Do you not understand how easy it would've been for you to retrieve the Anomaly had you gotten involved? But you didn't because of Hinata?"

"I'm sorry," Toneri gurgled. "Forgive me. Please."

Kaguya gritted her teeth before dropping Toneri. He groveled on the floor as air rushed back into his lungs and his neck throbbed, an ugly purple bruise already forming to match Kaguya's hand. "The Anomaly was supposed to stay in The Abyss! The fact that you _let_ Hyuuga and Uchiha take her is pathetic! Absolutely pathetic!"

Toneri sat up and as he was about to speak, the doors burst open. He looked over his shoulder and his eyes narrowed at the sight of his cousin sauntering into the room with a bottle of sake in hand.

"Princess!" he bellowed as he stumbled over to Kaguya and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You truly as one of the most stunning creatures in the godforsaken plane."

"Urashiki," Kaguya narrowed her eyes at him, "leave us."

"'Us?'" Urashiki repeated. He scanned the room before looking at their feet and seeing Toneri on the floor. He chuckled, "Well, well, well. What is this? Little Toneri is groveling on the floor? Oh, and what is this?" Urashiki drank from his sake bottle as he lifted Toneri's chin and analyzed his bruise. He laughed as Toneri smacked his hand away, "A little moody, aren't we?"

Toneri stood to his feet and rubbed his neck. "Urashiki," his voice came out strained. "I was speaking with Queen Mother about an important matter so if you wouldn't mind, please leave."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Urashiki questioned. He knocked on Toneri's head, "Where are your horns? Huh? Oh, that's right! You're a _Branch_ Clansmen. You don't get horns."

"Yet I'm going to be your king," Toneri reminded him.

"I'm not so sure about that anymore," Kaguya chimed as she stood beside Urashiki. She placed a finger underneath Toneri's chin and lifted it ever so slightly. She put on a sickeningly sweet smile on her lips, "Listen to me and listen well, Toneri. If the Anomaly isn't in your possession by sunrise, then I'm going to take matters into my own hands and handle this. And you _don't_ want me to get involved. You may be my favored one Toneri but don't forget that you _are_ replaceable."

Toneri swallowed hard and nodded, "Yes, Queen Mother."

She flicked her finger away from his chin, "You're dismissed."

With that, Toneri hurried out of the room. Urashiki chuckled as he took another swig from his sake bottle before wandering over to Kaguya's bed and plopping down. "Well, it truly is good to be home. So, he lost the Anomaly?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Kaguya muttered as she wandered into her closet. She undid the sash of her robe and shrugged the delicate fabric off her shoulders. "Leave, Urashiki."

"Why are you so cold to me, Princess?" Urashiki questioned as he pulled himself up. "If anything, you should be grateful since I'm the one who does all of your dirty work. And I don't do it because you ask, I do it because I want to do it. After all, you're only the matriarch and you haven't done much to prove yourself worthy of your position."

"Excuse me?" Kaguya looked towards her closet's entrance and saw Urashiki make his way to it and lean against the frame. "Had it not been for me, _none_ of you would be here. And none of you would be in the position you are in. It was all of my hard work and all of my sacrifices that has placed our family in the position of power that we are in today!"

Urashiki rolled his eyes, "Please. We all know that Lord Hagoromo and Lord Hamura had all the real power. Your _sons_ were the ones who put you up on that pedestal which they later found to be a mistake. Ain't that right, Princess?"

Kaguya flared up, "You watch what you say to me, Urashiki!"

"Why?" Urashiki asked as he finished the rest of is sake and let the empty bottle slip from his fingers. He sauntered over to Kaguya and stood close to her, "Look at you. You're standing here nude and haven't even tried to cover yourself. Tell me, how many clansmen have you prostituted yourself to? A dozen? Two dozen? Maybe three?"

Kaguya gritted her teeth, "Urashiki. You're walking on very thin ice with me right now. Just because you've just return home doesn't mean that I have the least bit of sympathy for you. You don't think I won't send you out on some far-off assignment that'll keep you away from here indefinitely?"

Urashiki chuckled before wrapping his hand around Kaguya's neck, "Watch your tone with me, Princess. Like I mentioned before, I don't do what you tell me because it's an order, I do it because I want to. Now, I could very easily refuse an order from you and spend my days lounging around here drinking all I want and fucking whoever I want. Don't test me Princess. I may be in a good mood now, but it doesn't take a whole lot to change that."

"Release me, Urashiki," Kaguya demanded.

Urashiki smiled, "Have I not made myself clear?" Urashiki let his hand slide down his neck and graze over her breasts, "You truly are one of the most beautiful creatures on this plane. It's such a same that that attitude of yours is absolute shit."

Kaguya smacked his hand away, "Don't touch me."

Urashiki put his hands up in defense, "Fine. I won't take you for myself this evening, but I will soon. But, I believe we have something else to speak about. You and I both know that Toneri isn't going to find that girl before she leaves that island come morning. Now, either you let him handle this whole shitshow himself and endanger this family you're so damn determined to protect, or you do things the right way."

"I thought you said you don't take my orders," Kaguya sneered.

Urashiki smiled, "I don't. But your orders give me an excuse to do as I please. I may be an Outsutsuki but even I have limitations as I am. However, if I have your blessing, then I'm allowed to do as I please so long as it's all in the name of the Queen."

"You're not the dutiful type, Urashiki."

"I'm not," Urashiki confessed, "but it is an excuse to abuse my powers. So, give me the order and I'll do as I please."

Kaguya eyed him for a moment, "Fine. Do what you must to retrieve the Anomaly."

"I shall," Urashiki assured her. "And the Guardians?"

Kaguya eyed him, "How long were you standing outside the door?"

"The whole time," Urashiki confessed. "Now, the Guardians?"

"Like I said, do what you must to retrieve the Anomaly," Kaguya repeated. "Now leave."

"Yes ma'am," Urashiki snickered as he stepped away from Kaguya and left.

Kaguya let out a heavy sigh before sliding onto the floor. She ran her fingers through her hair and stared up at the ceiling, "It's one thing after another." She let out a shaky breath as she grabbed at her chest, "Hagoromo…Hamura…why couldn't you be here with me?"

Out in the hall, Urashiki casually strolled down the long corridor. He was partway down the hallway when he spotted two familiar faces walking by down another hallway. "Momoshiki, Kinshiki."

The shorter and skinnier one of the two stopped first. He turned to see Urashiki and politely bowed towards him before removing his veil, "Urashiki. I heard you had returned home. How was your trip?"

"Long," Urashiki confessed as he approached them. He bowed to them before running his fingers through his hair, "Off to do your evening prayer?"

"Of course," Momoshiki answered. "Were you in Kaguya's chambers just now?"

"Ah, yes," Urashiki sighed. "It seems that Toneri has lost the girl." He shoved his hand into his pockets and shrugged, "We had predicted that this would happen sooner or later, but it seems that she was taken by two Guardians."

Kinshiki sucked his teeth, "Honestly. How many times did we tell her to just kill the girl? Had she done that, we wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Yeah, well, she doesn't really listen to us," Urashiki reminded them. "I'm headed out to try and retrieve her. I would invite you along but I'm sure you have plenty to worry about on your own. How's the search going anyway?"

"All rumors and dead ends," Momoshiki confessed with a slightly annoyed tone. "Lord Hagoromo and Lord Hamura didn't make our jobs easy."

"No, they most certainly did now," Urashiki chuckled. "Well, I wish you the best. May blessings be upon you."

"And upon you as well," Kinshiki said and watched as Urashiki continued down the hallway. When Urashiki finally turned down another hallway, Kinshiki turned his attention back to Momoshiki, "Well?"

"I have faith in Urashiki. He may be more on the reckless side, but he does get results," Momoshiki admitted. "All we can do is have faith in him."

 **To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Last Time:**

 _ **Kinshiki sucked his teeth, "Honestly. How many times did we tell her to just kill the girl? Had she done that, we wouldn't be in this predicament."**_

 _ **"Yeah, well, she doesn't really listen to us," Urashiki reminded them. "I'm headed out to try and retrieve her. I would invite you along, but I'm sure you have plenty to worry about on your own. How's the search going anyway?"**_

 _ **"All rumors and dead ends," Momoshiki confessed with a slightly annoyed tone. "Lord Hagoromo and Lord Hamura didn't make our jobs easy."**_

 _ **"No, they most certainly did now," Urashiki chuckled. "Well, I wish you the best. May blessings be upon you."**_

 _ **"And upon you as well," Kinshiki said and watched as Urashiki continued down the hallway. When Urashiki finally turned down another hallway, Kinshiki turned his attention back to Momoshiki, "Well?"**_

 _ **"I have faith in Urashiki. He may be more on the reckless side, but he does get results," Momoshiki admitted. "All we can do is have faith in him."**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 5 – The Beginning**

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh as he clipped the front of Sakura's cloak. "Make sure you keep your head down and whatever you do," Sasuke warned as he pulled the hood over her head, "do _not_ take off your hood. You're easily one of the most identifiable people here in this city so don't make our lives any harder but letting your hood slip."

"If you think I'd risk getting thrown back into The Abyss when I'm this close to being free then you're out of your damn mind," Sakura snarled.

"Lose the attitude," Sasuke encouraged. "We haven't left yet. I could very easily leave you here and let you continue to struggle here on your own."

"And how is that going to weigh on your conscious if a Realm Tear opens here because you left me here and didn't help me like you said you would?" Sakura saw the way Sasuke's eye twitched. "You don't have to worry about me."

Sasuke sucked his teeth before brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

"What're you doing?" Sakura shouted as she jumped back and glared at him. "First you belittle me, and then you try to make a move on me?"

"I hate to break it to you, but you're not exactly my type," he argued as he approached her. For a brief second, Sakura felt a jolt of pain on the back of her neck before Sasuke removed his hand. "There."

"What did you do?" Sakura asked.

"It's a marker. It'll help me keep track of you if we're ever separated." He walked over to where he slept the night before and picked up his own cloak. As he put it on, the door to their room opened, and Sakura turned to see a young man with lengthy black hair and feral whisker marks slip into the room.

She felt her nerves tingle at the sight of the unfamiliar character but as he ran his fingers through his hair, his lengthy black hair changed to short blonde hair and his feral whisker marks became more tamed. She let out a sigh of relief, "It's just you, Naruto."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"How does it look?" Sasuke asked.

"There are Wranglers all over the place," Naruto answered. "It seems they came in early this morning and didn't another sweep. And I checked the docks, and they have armed guards there. I spoke with the lady at the front desk, and she said they came in asking about us."

Sakura sucked her teeth, "How are we supposed to get on the ferry when there are armed Wranglers on the docks?"

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Hinata came out. She tied her hair up into a ponytail before detaching a circular device from her belt and dropping it onto the coffee table. It clicked three times before a 3D projection appeared, "Here we go."

Sakura walked over with Sasuke and saw hundreds of red dots covering the map in various locations. Some moved on street level, others were in buildings in windows, and others were positioned on top of buildings. "What's all of this?"

"A map of Kiri City," Hinata answered. "Naruto marked where all the Wranglers were while he was out roaming around this morning."

"Had it been a typical day, the streets would already be crowded, and we could've easily slipped through to the docks, but because of the increased number of Wranglers roaming around, there aren't as many people out," Naruto explained. "If anything, it's way too thinned out which means if we try walking around with our heads down, we'll easily be pointed out and targeted."

Sasuke sucked his teeth. He moved around the map, his eyes scanning every inch of the map, "It's easily a thirty-minute walk from here to the docks. It's going to be even longer with us needing to go unseen."

"Should we pull a distraction?" Hinata asked. "One of us could go to another portion of the city and cause some kind of commotion."

"They're not going to budge for something like that," Sakura argued. "It's Kiri City, all kind of shit happens here daily that the Wranglers turn a blind eye to. If it's anything, it's going to have to be _huge_."

They stood around and stared at the map for a minute in hopes of finding a solution. And one of them did.

"I'll serve as the distraction," Naruto answered.

"Absolutely not," Sasuke and Hinata said simultaneously.

"Not like that," Naruto assured them, and Sakura saw the immediate relief on Sasuke and Hinata's face. "I can turn into Sakura."

"I'm sorry?" Sakura watched as Naruto walked over to her and quickly looked her over. "What're you doing?"

"This is probably going to make me sick, but I'll just have to bear with it," Naruto muttered before reaching underneath Sakura's hood and yanking a few strands of hair. He held them carefully in his hand, and Sakura watched as a silver magic circle appeared in both his hands.

She watched as the strands of hair Naruto plucked from her hair floated between the two before they dissolved and sank into the magic circles. Slowly, Naruto's body became encompassed in this silver light, and when he was completely covered, it shifted. Finally, when the light dispersed, she was staring at herself.

"This is weird," Sakura muttered as she poked Naruto's cheek. "How can you do this?"

"Magic," Naruto waved his fingers.

"Your voice is even the same." Sakura was struggling to process what was happening.

"So, what's the rest of this plan?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smiled, and just behind him, three silver circles appeared behind him. Pillars of light appeared from each one, and when they faded, there were more of Sakura standing behind him.

"This'll work," Sasuke admitted. "Be at the docks as soon as you can. If you do this right, we'll be able to make it onto the ferry before the Wranglers figure out what's happening."

Naruto nodded and with that, he lifted the window to their room and slipped out with his clones. He waved one last time before dropping down towards the ground and disappearing from their view.

"Where did you find Naruto again?" Sakura asked as Hinata shut off the projection and clipped the device back onto her belt.

"We don't have time to talk," Hinata reminded her before putting on her cloak. "Let's get going."

Without saying another word, Sasuke and Hinata pulled on their backpacks and Hinata hitched a large scroll onto Sakura's lower back before they left their room. When they made it to the lobby, Sasuke dropped a medium sized leather pouch onto the counter, and the elderly woman behind the counter happily slid it off the counter and tucked it away into her robes.

Elsewhere in the city, Naruto made sure to move carefully to avoid being seen. He revealed the band around his wrist and pulled up a mini 3D projection that matched the map Hinata brought up earlier. He saw several red dots scattered around them and no clusters.

"One of you, go," Naruto ordered and watched as one of his clones hurried out from the alley and towards the direction of the Wranglers. On his map, Naruto watched as the red dots began to move. "All right."

For several minutes, Naruto continued sending out one clone after another in various parts of the city and luring Wranglers on a chase. After a while, reports of multiple sightings were going through the Wranglers radio channels and causing mass confusion.

"This should be enough," Naruto muttered as he slipped into an alley and double checked his map. There were clusters of red dots in various sections of the map with few stragglers in other parts. "They should've made it to the docks by now."

"Ah, here's one."

Before Naruto could react, he was forced into the ground with great force. The wind was knocked out of him and intense pain course through his body. His vision blurred momentarily, but when he felt an intense burning in his stomach, he gritted his teeth.

"Hm, this one didn't disappear. So, you're the real one then."

Naruto watched as Urashiki landed on the ground just at the edge of the small crater he created. His blood ran cold at the sight of him, and his eyes widen in shock and horror.

"Honestly," Urashiki let out a heavy sigh as he reached behind his back and unsheathed a machete, "if only Kaguya had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this predicament." He stepped down into the crater but stopped. "Hm?"

Thanks to Urashiki's moment of hesitation, Naruto was able to recompose himself and take a quick breath in. As he exhaled, a powerful gust of wind sent Urashiki flying down the alleyway until he crashed through a brick wall. He quickly scurried onto his feet, and as he ran out onto the street, he returned to his usual appearance.

He ran without thinking, and because he wasn't focused, he ran straight into a crowd of Wranglers who had cornered one of his clones. He ended up crashing into one of the Wranglers who had his spear pointed towards the clone, and as they both fell the spear pierced the clone, and it disappeared.

"What the hell?"

"Wait, he's one of the ones who escaped with The Anomaly!"

"Take him!"

Naruto quickly jumped out of the way of thrusting spears and leaped off the back of one of the Wranglers. He scaled up a wall, and as he leaped onto the roof, he was tackled from behind. He tumbled with his attack, and as he slid to a stop and hit the other end of the roof, he saw Urashiki just a few feet in front of him.

"Just a minute, just a minute," Urashiki stood to his feet and dusted himself off, "little Toneri never mentioned Sasuke and Hinata having a servant with them, but I can't expect him to think you're that important. Though I will admit, it's an interesting trick you pulled with turning into the Anomaly and having clones all over the place."

Naruto didn't say a word as he kept his eyes fixed on Urashiki. He did his best to slow his breathing, but the pounding in his heart and his nerves weren't cooperating in the slightest. The sight of Urashiki sent an uncomfortable chill through his body, and he felt stuck.

"Let's cut a deal, huh?" Urashiki walked up to Naruto and squatted down in front of him. "If you tell me where the Anomaly is then I'll let you live. But if you refuse to cooperate, then it's not just your life that'll be on the line."

Naruto didn't say a word. He couldn't.

Urashiki chuckled, "Silent? Is it fear? Or maybe it's loyalty? Heh, it's not like I really care. Listen, trust me, kid, the Anomaly isn't worth your life." Urashiki eyed Naruto for a moment and then raised a curious eyebrow, "Hm? You look familiar. Or do you look like someone I know?"

Naruto felt a knot form in his stomach that weighed on it like a ton of bricks. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his mind started to go blank. Behind Urashiki, he didn't see Kiri City. All he saw was darkness illuminated by high flames, and all he heard were the blood-curdling screams of men, women, and children.

"What's going on here?" Urashiki chuckled as he watched Naruto. As he watched Naruto seem to retreat further and further into himself, he snapped his fingers. "Now I know why you look familiar. You remind me of –."

Just then, Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Urashiki sucked his teeth and waved the smoke away before seeing the last bit of a summoning circle fade where Naruto had been just moments before. "Seems he belongs to Hinata. She's definitely found quite the interesting pet."

On the ferry, Hinata watched as Naruto appeared just in front of her. "Naru – !" She was cut off as Naruto lunged for her and wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach. She was caught off guard, but when she felt the way his body quaked and felt a warm wetness bleed through her shirt, she looked down at him. "Naruto-kun, what happened?"

Naruto shook his head. He refused to speak as he clung to Hinata tighter.

"Shh," she cooed as she laced her fingers through his hair. "It's okay, I'm here. You're safe now. You did good. You did _so_ good. If it weren't for your plan, we wouldn't have been able to make it onto the ferry as easily as we did."

Sasuke merely stood back and watched as Hinata tried to comfort Naruto. Sakura was concerned herself, but she knew there wasn't anything she could say or do to ease Naruto's nerves. As Hinata continued to pet Naruto, they heard the ferry creak and felt it begin to move forward. She looked out the window and saw the ferry pulled away from the docks, she could see Wranglers hurry towards it and yell at one another.

As they argued, Sakura watched as Outsutsuki Urashiki walked up to them with his hands in his pockets and an irritated expression on his face. The sight of Urashiki caused Sakura's stomach to turn, and before she could get a look at his eyes, Sasuke yanked her away from the window.

"Ow!" Sakura shouted as she pulled her arm away from Sasuke and glared at her. "What the hell was that for?"

"After all the trouble we went through to get you _off_ the island, the last thing we need you to do is have your face in the window for all of them to see," Sasuke argued. "We'll be on the mainland in two days, and after that, you'll be free to roam about as you like but for the time being, just cooperate a little while longer."

Sakura sucked her teeth before folding her arms and looked back at Naruto and Hinata. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be okay," Hinata answered as she carefully rubbed Naruto's shoulders and back. "You'll be okay."

"I didn't expect Kaguya to send Urashiki out so soon after his return," Sasuke muttered as he took a seat on a crate. "This complicates things?"

"Who's Urashiki?" Sakura questioned.

Sasuke sucked his teeth before letting out a heavy sigh. "He's Queen Kaguya's errand boy. He handles the more…unsavory deeds. The deeds that no one dares talk about and that everyone sweeps under the rug because if anyone knew what Queen Kaguya did with the land's resources and money, then there'd be a revolt."

"And a revolt is a distant dream for any who even dare think about it," Hinata muttered as she continued to console Naruto. "Queen Kaguya cares only about is preserving the Outsutsuki Clan and their place at the helm of the kingdom."

"However, the reason as to why she would waste Urashiki's time by sending him out here after you let us know that you're much more important to Toneri than you let on," Sasuke explained with a shrug. "But then again, maybe it's Toneri who you're important to; maybe it's Queen Kaguya."

"Queen Kaguya?" Sakura repeated. "There's absolutely no way in hell I'm important to her. I've never even met the woman. I was living and traveling with Pirates for most of my life before I got separated from them and ended up wandering for a little while before I was captured and brought to Kiri City. From there, I was picked up by Toneri, and I've been stuck with him for five years. In all my time at The Abyss, I've met _dozens_ of Outsutsuki Clansmen, and I've never met Queen Kaguya. Not even once. I don't even think I've heard her voice."

"Let's talk about this another time, please," Hinata pleaded as Naruto held her tighter.

"Fine," Sasuke agreed. "It's at least a three-day ride to the mainland, and we don't have tickets which means this is as comfortable as it gets for us. I'll see if I can find any spare mattresses that've been tossed aside somewhere."

Sasuke stood up from his crate and stretched before looking around their immediate area. He took one last look at Hinata and Naruto before scratching the back of his head. "Sakura come help me search for things."

"What? Why do I have to come with you?" Sakura whined.

"Now, please," Sasuke urged.

Sakura looked at Hinata and Naruto for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh, "Fine."

 **To Be Continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Last Time:**

 _ **"Let's talk about this another time, please," Hinata pleaded as Naruto held her tighter.**_

 _ **"Fine," Sasuke agreed. "It's at least a three-day ride to the mainland, and we don't have tickets which means this is as comfortable as it gets for us. I'll see if I can find any spare mattresses that've been tossed aside somewhere."**_

 _ **Sasuke stood up from his crate and stretched before looking around their immediate area. He took one last look at Hinata and Naruto before scratching the back of his head. "Sakura, come help me search for things."**_

 _ **"What? Why do I have to come with you?" Sakura whined.**_

 _ **"Now, please," Sasuke urged.**_

 _ **Sakura looked at Hinata and Naruto for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh, "Fine."**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 6 – A Brewing Storm**

Sakura wasn't sure how long they were searching when Sasuke decided to plop down on one of the mattresses they found and start scrolling through a screen. She searched for a little while after that, but when she saw Sasuke had settled in for the foreseeable future, she decided to do the same.

"What're you looking at?" Sakura finally decided to ask after failing to read Sasuke's screen backward.

"Message Boards," Sasuke answered. "Guardians have a private network where we update information on various things across the kingdom whether it be the location of monster's and their nest, incomplete assignments, amongst other things. Everyone seems to be talking about Urashiki's return to Outsutsuki Palace though."

"Are you going to post something about Urashiki being in Kiri City?" Sakura questioned.

Sasuke closed his screen. "No. It's not hard to track these things if you don't know how to use them," Sasuke raised his wrist and showed her the thick black armband he wore. "Hinata and I usually go dark because our assignments aren't exactly registered and/or smiled upon by the Outsutsuki Clan. And before you ask, yes, _all_ Guardians do it."

"Do you like being a Guardian?" Sakura asked. "You said you've been doing this for almost five years."

Sasuke thought for a moment, "Do I like it? No one's ever really asked me that before. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. Like Hinata said before, as Nobles from high ranking families, we didn't get to travel as much as those from – and I know this sounds shitty – less reputable and significant families. As a Guardian, I'm free to travel where I please and when I please. But, I hate it sometimes because you truly see just how neglected this kingdom is outside of the major cities."

"Neglected?" Sakura questioned.

"I'd rather not get into it," Sasuke admitted.

Silence fell between them. Sasuke seemed to stare at nothing, and Sakura was left looking around at their immediate surroundings. She wasn't sure how far away from Hinata and Naruto they were. She tried listening for them, but she couldn't hear much aside from the engine chugging along and the lapping of waves against the husk of the ferry.

She closed her eyes and focused on listening. At first, she didn't hear much at all, and when she was close to hearing something, Sasuke cleared his throat in an obnoxiously loud way. She opened her eyes and saw Sasuke glaring at her, "What?"

"Give them their privacy," Sasuke warned her. "When Naruto's shaken up like that, Hinata's the only one capable of calming him down."

Sakura eyed him for a moment before finally asking, "What is he? Having Human or Humanoid summons is unheard of. Usually, they're animals or mystical creatures, sometimes even demons."

"Just because it's unheard of doesn't mean he's not Human," Sasuke argued.

"He's not Human."

"He's Human."

"I'm not blind or stupid," Sakura argued. "It's very rare for Humans to be able to use magic and those who can aren't capable of much. They're especially not capable of creating multiple copies of themselves and having them spread out through a large space such as Kiri City, so I don't buy that he's Human for one second."

Sasuke shrugged. He stretched and let out a satisfied noise before looking up towards the porthole above his head. "Naruto should've calmed down by now, so I'm going to assume it's safe to go back. You can carry the mattress," Sasuke suggested as he stood up and picked up a pair of stacked crates.

Sakura sucked her teeth as Sasuke began to walk away. She picked up the mattresses they had gathered and began to follow him back to where they'd left Naruto and Hinata. "I'm not dropping this, Uchiha."

Sasuke ignored her as they continued to walk. It didn't take long for them to reach Hinata and Naruto, and as they did, she saw Hinata had stripped away all her holsters and belts from her armor. They were tossed aside in a sloppy pile, and Naruto tugged at the tail of his shirt.

"Did you find anything?" Hinata asked as Sasuke placed the crates on the ground.

"This much will hold us for at least a day and a half if not two," Sasuke said as Naruto walked over and began to sift through the contents of the crates. "Naruto, if you can, will you look around some more tomorrow?"

Naruto nodded, "Of course."

"You two look comfortable," Sakura commented as she leaned against a large crate.

Hinata smiled at Sakura, "We're safe for now, so there's really no point to staying geared up, don't you think? You might as well get comfortable since we're going to be stuck here for the next three days."

Sakura sucked her teeth. It was going to be a long three days.

Meanwhile, in Kiri City, Urashiki was in the middle of watching Toneri berate the battalion of Wranglers that were assigned to the mainland. It was an interesting sight, seeing as Toneri was turning red in the face and the blood vessel in his forehead looked ready to pop. When he was done, the Wranglers couldn't have gotten out of the room faster.

Urashiki chuckled at the sight of a fuming Toneri, "I didn't realize you were capable of this level of anger, Ton-Ton."

"Toneri," Toneri corrected him as he plopped down into his chair and rubbed his forehead. "Look, we know that they're on the ferry so why don't we just go and get them?"

"Because that ferry is also carrying over three hundred civilians," Urashiki reminded him. "You and I both know that if an Outsutsuki or one of your Wranglers goes and tries to retrieve them, it's going to turn into a fight and there will be casualties. It won't look good."

"We'll lose them once they reach the mainland," Toneri groaned.

Urashiki rolled his eyes before standing up. "Honestly, this wouldn't be an issue had Kaguya just killed the bitch when you found her. Her negligence is going to prove fatal to this family if this continues."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Toneri questioned. He stood to his feet and narrowed his eyes at Urashiki, "If that's a threat against Queen Mother, then you certainly have a lot of balls to make such a declaration in front of me."

Urashiki chuckled as he met Toneri's gaze, "Do you think I'm afraid of Kaguya? Oh, little Ton-Ton, you don't know anything, do you? I can't blame you though, Kaguya's had her cunt wrapped around you since your balls dropped. Trust me, there is better pussy out there."

"Don't talk about Queen Mother as if she's just any other woman!" Toneri shouted.

"Your blind devotion to her is going to get you killed," Urashiki warned, and he smirked when Toneri flinched. "Though I will admit, there wasn't much of a chance for you to begin with. I hope you know that you're just a replacement for Hagoromo and Hamura. And think about it, if she's willing to kill her only sons, what makes you think she's willing to spare you? Especially after a screwup as drastic as this one?"

Toneri didn't say a word.

"Let me know what kind of flowers you want at your funeral," Urashiki teased as he began to head for the door. "And try to fuck someone else that isn't Kaguya before you do die. Maybe then you'll wake up and realize that she's not worth much if anything at all."

With that, Urashiki left Toneri alone in his office. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, his smile faded, and he sucked his teeth. He made his way down the hall and picked the room furthest away from Toneri's office that he could find.

From there, he tapped the floor, and a portal opened. Without checking it, he stepped through and fell for just a moment before his feet touched the ground. He looked up to make sure the portal closed, and once it did, he began to make his way through the woods.

He didn't make it far before he heard a tree branch rustle overhead, "There you are."

"What do you want?" an unknown man questioned, his voice harsh and the annoyance clear.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Urashiki questioned as he looked up to meet the piercing red eyes of his guest. "You're lucky I didn't summon you."

The man snarled, "What do you want?"

"I have a job for you," Urashiki claimed and watched as the set of eyes dropped down to the ground. "And don't worry, it pays in more ways than one."

"Keep talking."

Back on the ferry, Naruto felt an uncomfortable chill go through his whole body.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing. I'm fine. I'm still just a little shaken up about what happened earlier is all."

"Are you sure that's all?" Hinata asked.

Naruto nodded, "I'm sure."

"You get some rest first," Sasuke recommended before standing up. "I'm going to check around some more.

"Are you sure? I can keep the first watch," Naruto assured him.

"You've done enough today," Sasuke told him. "Get some rest."

Naruto pursed his lips together but nodded anyway. He laid down on his designated mattress and rolled over onto his side. In just a matter of a few seconds, Naruto was asleep.

"If he was so tired, he should've said something sooner," Sasuke muttered as he stood to his feet and stretched.

"We still need to talk about what's going to happen after we reach the mainland," Hinata reminded Sasuke.

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Sasuke responded. "Get some rest."

Before Hinata could say anything else, Sasuke wandered off. She let out a heavy and looked over towards Sakura who seemed to have her eyes focused on Sasuke's back. She saw the skeptical look in Sakura's eye, "I take it you have questions?"

Sakura looked at Hinata, "You could say that."

"Well," Hinata moved so that she was sitting beside Sakura, "I'll try and answer the questions you have to the best of my ability. I know Sasuke-kun can be a bit overly cautious in certain situations, but because you'll be traveling with us for a while, then we should be able to trust one another, right?"

Sakura pursed her lips together.

"So, what do you want to know?" Hinata wore a warm smile, but through the dim light of the lantern, Sakura could see just a little bit of worry had settled in her expression.

Sakura took a moment to think. She glanced over at Naruto who was still sound asleep and breathing evenly. It was the most relaxed he'd looked all afternoon, and for whatever reason, Sakura was relieved.

"You haven't always traveled with Naruto, have you?" Sakura asked as she looked back at Hinata.

Hinata shook her head in an immediate response, "No, we haven't. Naruto-kun joined us almost two years ago. We were responding to a village's request to handle a nearby disturbance in the woods, and while handling the assignment, we came across Naruto. We don't know all the details, but Naruto was outcasted by this village and had been fending for himself in the woods."

"Outcasted?" Sakura repeated. "Why was he an outcast?"

"I can't exactly say," Hinata answered, "but when we found Naruto, he tried to fight with Sasuke-kun. He suspected that the village had hired us to go out and force him out of the woods, but when he found out the truth, he apologized profusely and helped us handle the village's request. After that, Naruto requested that he travel with us."

"Just like that?" Sakura asked.

"Just like that," Hinata assured.

"So, what about the Summoner's Contract between you and him?" Sakura asked. "I thought Humans weren't able to be summons?"

Hinata hesitated to answer which was enough to confirm Sakura'a suspicions.

"If he's not Human, what is he?" Sakura asked.

Hinata avoided eye contact with Sakura as she tried to find the right answer – or lie, as Sakura thought – to the question.

"It's… complicated," Hinata admitted.

Sakura gritted her teeth, "Didn't you just get done telling me that if we're going to travel with one another that there should be trust? How am I supposed to travel alongside Naruto if I don't know what he is?"

Hinata wore a quizzical expression on her face, "Does know what Naruto is really put a hindrance on your ability to travel with him? He was the one who recommended you come along with us so that you could finally be free from The Abyss. And he was the _only_ reason we were able to escape Kiri City as smoothly as we did."

Sakura couldn't find the right words to respond.

"All you need to know for now about Naruto is that he's willing to go above and beyond to help others," Hinata assured Sakura, her voice sterner than it had been a moment ago. "And if anyone should be concerned with traveling with an unknown, it's us. So, until then, you shouldn't be pressuring anyone about what Race they belong to."

That was the final blow. Hinata made her way over to her own mattress and laid down. Sakura sucked her teeth before retreating to her own mattress. She looked out towards one of the portholes and caught a glimpse of the starry sky just outside. She wished she could go out onto the deck, but she knew it would just result in a serious lecture from Sasuke.

She settled for the limited view, and for a brief second, someone darted past the porthole. She rubbed her eyes, and after staring out of it for a few moments longer, she figured it was nothing more than a passing bird.

Just outside the porthole, a small black-furred fox that wore a kitsune mask stuck to the side of the ship.

 **To Be Continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Last Time:**

 _ **"All you need to know for now about Naruto is that he's willing to go above and beyond to help others," Hinata assured Sakura, her voice sterner than it had been a moment ago. "And if anyone should be concerned with traveling with an unknown, it's us. So, until then, you shouldn't be pressuring anyone about what Race they belong to."**_

 _ **That was the final blow. Hinata made her way over to her own mattress and laid down. Sakura sucked her teeth before retreating to her own mattress. She looked out towards one of the portholes and caught a glimpse of the starry sky just outside. She wished she could go out onto the deck, but she knew it would just result in a serious lecture from Sasuke.**_

 _ **She settled for the limited view, and for a brief second, someone darted past the porthole. She rubbed her eyes, and after staring out of it for a few moments longer, she figured it was nothing more than a passing bird.**_

 _ **Just outside the porthole, a small black-furred fox that wore a kitsune mask stuck to the side of the ship.**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 7 – When It Rains**

That next morning, they were all woken up by a powerful crack of thunder. It was followed by a wave crashing loudly against the side of the ferry, and the sound of rain beating heavily against the husk of the ferry.

As Sakura sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she saw Sasuke and Hinata on their mattress while Naruto was missing from his. She let out a soft moan as she stretched and allowed her bones to crack after enduring a less than a desirable mattress. She saw Hinata and Sasuke seemed just as uncomfortable, but when Naruto walked up holding a medium sized crate, he looked bright and chipper.

"Morning," Naruto greeted them as he placed the crate down. When lightning struck, the interior of where they were was momentarily lit up, and for a brief second, Sakura swore she saw Naruto's jaw was clenched.

"How long has it been storming?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto took a moment to think, "It started raining soon after I took over your watch. As for the thundering and the lightning, that didn't start until a few moments ago. It's going to last a while from what I can tell. At best, it'll stop before dawn tomorrow."

"You didn't sense a storm like this coming yesterday?" Hinata questioned.

Naruto shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. This one popped up out of nowhere. I suspected the rain, so I figured that it wasn't something to think much about, but I didn't suspect this kind of storm."

Sasuke sucked his teeth, "I guess it can't be helped. We'll just have to bear with it for a little while, and then by tomorrow afternoon we should have arrived on the mainland."

"What happens after we make it to the mainland?" Sakura questioned.

"There's no telling what Queen Mother intends to do when it comes to getting you back, so for now we'll have to lay low and do our best to stay out of sight," Hinata explained. "Because Urashiki was sent in the first place means she's serious about getting you back. But the amount of manpower she's still to spare is questionable. And if she were to publicly announce that you were wanted, then that could lead to a whole other series of problems."

"It only becomes a problem if there's a reward," Sasuke explained. "But like Hinata said, because it's Urashiki she sent, she's hoping he'll retrieve you quickly and return you to The Abyss."

"I don't think the plan is for Sakura-chan to be returned to The Abyss," Naruto spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

Naruto hesitated to answer for a moment, "I didn't get to say anything yesterday, but when Urashiki found me, he was ready to kill me. I guess he realized that I wasn't Sakura-chan, so that's why he hesitated. He even said something like, 'If only Kaguya had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this predicament.'"

Sasuke and Hinata shared a look before looking over towards Sakura.

"Don't look at me like that," Sakura muttered. "I know just as much as you do when it comes to Queen Mother Kaguya. Like I said before, I've never met the woman."

"How long have you been in Toneri's possession again?" Hinata questioned.

"Five years," Sakura answered. "In the beginning, I was used a private entertainment for his guests, and after I hurt one of his cousins, he threw me in the ring. He originally threw me in there so that I could die, but when he saw I was capable of defending myself, he started using me to earn extra money."

"This doesn't make any sense," Sasuke muttered.

"What were you hiding before?" Hinata asked.

Sakura gripped her right forearm, "What're you talking about?"

"We need to see it," Hinata told her. "We're just as lost as you are, but we know you're hiding something. Maybe it'll help us figure something out, or even give us an idea of what Race you belong to?"

Sakura thought about it for a moment. She'd only hid what was on her arm as long as she did because Toneri made it a point that if anyone saw it aside from him, then it would end in dire consequences for her. She never knew what those consequences were, but she had feared them for the last five years.

But she was away from Toneri now, and she was free from The Abyss. So she let out a heavy sigh and removed the sleeve and revealed the intricate black design that had been on her skin for as long as she could remember.

"What the?" Sasuke took ahold of Sakura's arm and looked it over. "This is a Clan Marking."

"What's a Clan Marking?" Sakura asked. She watched as both Hinata and Sasuke removed their own sleeves and revealed a set of intricate black designs on their own forearms. As Sakura looked between all three of theirs, she saw they were all different.

"Clan Markings are symbols given to those only of Nobility or Royalty," Hinata explained. "For Nobility, it appears for us on our fifth birthday after we've gone through a ceremony that officially ties us to our families. For Royalty, it's on them the day they're born. It begins as a simple marking on the top of your hand, and then it spreads all the way up to your shoulder."

"You said it spreads?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke nodded, "Yes. Why?"

Sakura looked back at the marking, "It's been spreading… every year on my birthday, it spreads a little more."

"Let me see," Naruto came over and joined them. He held up both his hands and looked at Sakura, "Place your arm between my hands?"

Sakura nodded and held her arm just as Naruto had requested. She watched as his palms began to glow a light orange and as he did this, the design on Sakura's arm began to develop a white light. She felt it began to burn and she gritted her teeth as Naruto carried on.

After a short while, the sound of a chain shattered was heard, and the design on Sakura's arm jutted pass her elbow and stretched all the way to her shoulder. It glowed for a few short seconds before it subsided along with the burning sensation.

"What did you do?" Sakura asked.

"It was enchanted," Naruto answered. He looked to Sasuke and Sakura, "It was an Outsutsuki who did it."

"Did Toneri do anything to you when he bought you?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura shook her head, "He didn't do anything. Ever since I was little, I kept it covered up. Even my caretaker told me to keep it covered, but he never explained why. When Toneri finally saw it, he told me to keep it covered at all cost. If he enchanted it, I would've noticed."

Hinata sucked her teeth, "What's going on?"

"Knowing the Outsutsuki, it's probably another cover-up," Naruto grumbled as he stood up. "I'm going to look around some more. Sakura-chan, you should learn how to keep that covered up. Having the Mark of a Royal doubles as a target, and those who are desperate won't hesitate to try and capture you."

Sakura pursed her lips together as Naruto wandered off. She rubbed her arm as an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty swirled around her. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Neither do we," Hinata confessed. "We may have gotten mixed up in something really dangerous, Sasuke."

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, "It seems that way, but we're Guardians. This is just a part of our jobs. We promised that we'd help you learn how to control your Mana so that you could finally be free to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. So, despite the circumstances, we'll try our best to help you."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Sakura muttered. "Naruto said that Urashiki isn't hunting me down with the intention of returning me to Toneri and The Abyss. And then I find out that I'm supposedly from Royalty? I was an orphan long before I ended up on Crescent Island."

"Everyone comes from somewhere," Hinata said. "Look, finding out what Race you are is going to make our jobs a hell of a lot easier, but because Queen Mother Kaguya seems so hellbent on having you killed just means she's desperate to keep something buried."

"Your point?" Sakura asked.

"Queen Mother Kaguya isn't exactly the most doting monarch," Sasuke grumbled. "All she cares about is the longevity of the Outsutsuki Clan, and though it's not public knowledge, she has a history of… exterminating threats."

Sakura pursed her lips together as she tried to process this new information, "So then…"

"But it's a very slim chance," Hinata quickly chimed in. "For all we know, you could be from another country entirely. You could've been separated from your family, and they've been looking for you all this time."

Sasuke eyed Hinata as Sakura seemed to light up at the sound of the possibility of someone out there looking for her.

"It's like I said, everyone comes from somewhere," Hinata reiterated. "All we need to do is find out where you're from, where you belong, and then we can figure the rest out from there."

From not too far away, Naruto sat on a crate with a solemn expression on his face. In his hand, he held a brilliant tanto sword. He brushed his thumb carefully over the hilt of the blade and traced the design of it. And without looking, he flicked the blade into the shadows. As the blade stuck into the metal of the floor, he heard a quiet whimper.

He got off the crate and made his way to where he threw his blade. He watched as the small black fox with the kitsune mask was stuck, its tail now anchored to the floor because of Naruto's blade. Naruto eyed the helpless fox for a moment before stomping on the struggling fox's head. It disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, and as Naruto leaned down to pick up his blade, he saw the small scroll left in the fox's place.

Carefully, Naruto picked up the small scroll and unrolled it to see a crudely written note. "I'll see you soon," Naruto read quietly just as the note disappear from his hand.

Elsewhere, a young man with spiky black hair and piercing red eyes sucked his teeth. He sat atop an old throne long abandoned in a decrepit castle that was a victim to poor upkeep, nature, and the elements.

"Honestly Boss, why did you decide to set up out here all of a sudden?" an underling of the young man questioned as he wandered into the throne room and stepped over a fallen stone and overgrown vines.

He chuckled, "Relax. It's only temporary. Plus, I was feeling a little homesick."

"Homesick?" the underling questioned. "Pft, please. This island has been abandoned for almost twenty years."

"Fifteen," he corrected. "Fifteen years, and it wasn't abandoned. Queen Mother Kaguya decided that the inhabitants of this island posed as a threat to the Outsutsuki Clan, so she had them all eradicated in the middle of the night while the whole country slept. And then she made an announcement the next morning and said that the inhabitants of this island were eradicated because they were planning a widescale attack on the country."

"Well, were they?"

"Nope. They were farmers. Of course, no one bought it, but then again, no one bothered to question it either. So, just like that," he snapped his fingers, "Kaguya got away with genocide, and no one batted an eye."

The underling whistled, "That's heavy. And you said you were homesick? Did you used to live here after those people were eradicated?"

"Not exactly." He rose from the throne and waltz down the steps. "It stinks in here," he muttered as he wandered out of the room and down a long corridor. His underling followed close behind him, and as they walked, they passed by old portraits that depicted proud men and women. Each one of them had brilliant red hair and looks in their eyes that sent uncomfortable chills down the underling's spine.

"These two are different," the underling stopped in front of a smaller portrait.

His boss stopped and looked back. He stood beside him and eyed the old portrait that had managed to stay together through the years. It was two young boys, identical twins. Unlike the others who had red hair, they both were blonde with blue eyes and whisker markings on their cheeks.

"I wonder how they got those marks?" the underling questioned. He looked towards his boss and saw the way he held is clenched jaw, "Boss?"

His boss didn't respond. He stared at the image for a long while. He sucked his teeth as his right arm began to throb, "Have the others arrived yet?"

"Ah, yes!" The underling straightened his back. "The last of them arrived not too long ago. That's why I came to get you."

He nodded before continuing down the hall. He forced open a set of doors, and that's when he heard the loud chattering of hundreds of men and women. When he walked along the walkway that surrounded the ballroom they had all gathered in, the men and women below stopped talking.

"Lord Menma," a set of two women and two men greeted him with a polite bow as he took his place at the center of them all.

He simply nodded in their direction before looking down at the sea of men and women down below. As he eyed them, a smirk crawled onto his lips and his eyes shone, "I'm sure you all know that I wouldn't call you altogether if it weren't something good."

 **To Be Continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last Time:**

 _ **His boss didn't respond. He stared at the image for a long while. He sucked his teeth as his right arm began to throb, "Have the others arrived yet?"**_

 _ **"Ah, yes!" The underling straightened his back. "The last of them arrived not too long ago. That's why I came to get you."**_

 _ **He nodded before continuing down the hall. He forced open a set of doors, and that's when he heard the loud chattering of hundreds of men and women. When he walked along the walkway that surrounded the ballroom they had all gathered in, the men and women below stopped talking.**_

 _ **"Lord Menma," a set of two women and two men greeted him with a polite bow as he took his place at the center of them all.**_

 _ **He simply nodded in their direction before looking down at the sea of men and women down below. As he eyed them, a smirk crawled onto his lips and his eyes shone, "I'm sure you all know that I wouldn't call you altogether if it weren't something good."**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 8 – "Kuroichi"**

"I'll try and keep this short since time is of the essence," Menma announced as he stepped out onto the balcony before him and leaned against the railing. He held out his left wrist and tapped his bracelet. From there, three images were projected, and he chuckled as there was a collective groan from both his lieutenants and subordinates.

"I take it you're all familiar with Guardian Uchiha Sasuke and Guardian Hyuuga Hinata?" Menma asked. "I understand. Guardians, in general, can be quite the nuisance. But, I'm happy to announce that this is a very special circumstance. My contact, who is employed by Queen Mother Kaguya herself, has requested that we hunt down and execute Guardian Uchiha Sasuke, Guardian Hyuuga Hinata, and the girl they're traveling with: Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno Sakura?" Lieutenant Kirigaya Tsubaki spoke up amongst her peers. "She's the Champion of The Abyss, isn't she?"

"She was," Menma confirmed. "The story goes – as far as I know, at least – that Uchiha and Hyuuga kidnapped Haruno from The Abyss. Now, knowing Prince Toneri's temper, I automatically assumed that it was he who requested our services but, as I mentioned before, it's someone in Queen Mother Kaguya's employ that's requesting our services."

"And why exactly would we bother helping the Crown?" Lieutenant Kuchiki Tooru spat.

Menma smiled. With a simple tap on his bracelet, their images were replaced with a number. And it was a number large enough to stun everyone into silence. "As you can see Tooru-san, there are five hundred million reasons why we'd be bothered to help the crown."

"That's quite the price tag for two Guardians and a running away fighter from The Abyss," Lieutenant Ito Chikako questioned as she eyed the number. "Is there anything else you can tell us? Maybe like _why_ Queen Mother Kaguya employed someone to find them in the first place? And why she seems so desperate to find them in the first place?"

"Does it matter?" Menma questioned. When Chikako responded with a shrug, he looked back towards the men and women before him. "Now then, as of right now, the three of them are on a ferry headed for the mainland from Kiri City. They'll be docking the day after tomorrow, which means there is a small window of opportunity available to those who can get to them before they dock.

"But, if they make it to the mainland, then that's when things become complicated. As of right now, there's no time frame on when the three of them should be retrieved or killed, but it has been expressed to me that it should be handled and dealt with as soon as possible."

"I'll handle it," Lieutenant Nakamura Hayato declared and ignored the murmurs and curses from his peers. "You said they're on a ferry headed for the mainland."

"That's right," Menma confirmed as he closed the screen and turned to look at Hayato. "Try to keep the casualties down to a minimum. Most of the people on that ferry are just simple folk who were looking to get away for a weekend."

"No promises," Hayato countered.

Menma rolled his eyes as he walked over to his lieutenants and tapped his bracelet back to life, "What I'm about to tell you is just for your ears only, understood?"

All of Menma's lieutenants looked at one another before looking back at him.

"It's rare of you to not keep everyone in the look," Tooru commented as he folded his arms across his chest. "Is it an extra assignment for us? Or were there some people you needed to be nixed along the way?"

Menma pulled up the fourth image, and they all got a good look at it. "His name is Uzumaki Naruto. If you spot him, inform me immediately, and I'll come. I'm sure you all are familiar with Guardian Uchiha and Guardian Hyuuga's abilities seeing as you've each run into them a multitude of times. They'll usually keep Naruto hidden as to avoid exposing him."

"Wait, Uzumaki?" Tsubaki spoke up. "The Uzumaki Clan was wiped out fifteen years ago by Queen Mother Kaguya and the Outsutsuki Family. There's absolutely no possible way that there's any of them roaming around."

"Queen Mother Kaguya and the Outsutsuki Family aren't exactly thorough," Menma explained. "As you can tell though, it seems Queen Mother Kaguya is oblivious to his existence and therefore, isn't hunting for him too. If and when you find Naruto, bring him to me."

"You're referring to him by his first name," Chikako commented, and Menma looked at her. "It's plainly obvious that you have some sort of personal relationship with him, Lord Menma. After all, he's the only person – besides you – who I've seen with whisker markings on them like they've been scratched by Kurama himself."

Menma looked irritated, "Like I said before, if you find him, inform me immediately, and I'll come. If you're able to restrain him, then do so for as long as you can. I won't ask you to do anything reckless and beyond reason."

"Reckless and beyond reason?" Tsubaki repeated with an offended scoff. "Lord Menma, if I'm not mistaken, I can't help but shake the feeling that you think we aren't capable of handling him. What exactly is he capable of that you're telling us to shy away from a fight with him?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Menma reminded her. "Hayato, since you'll be the first one to spot him, assuming he is indeed on that ferry with them, I'll come along with you. I can't go losing one of my lieutenants so soon into this search."

"You don't need to worry about me, Lord Menma," Hayato insisted. "My people and I will kill them before they can reach the mainland."

"It seems you all are in a mood to make me repeat myself," Menma's smile appeared, and all his lieutenants stiffened. "As I said before, I'll be coming along with you. As for the rest of you, direct your subordinates how you see fit."

"What about the reward?" Tooru questioned. "That's a lot of money for all three of them, Lord Menma."

"Ah, this is another thing that's just for your ears only," Menma closed the screen displaying Naruto's image, "but that price tag is only for Haruno Sakura. For Guardian Uchiha Sasuke, the price is three hundred and fifty million, while Guardian Hyuuga Hinata's is four hundred million. It seems Queen Mother Kaguya holds some sort of grudge against the two of them, but I suppose that's to be expected. They are of the more unconventional breed of Guardians."

Chikako whistled, "Well, if that's the case. I don't wish you the best of luck, Hayato. With a payout like that, I could return early and buy me an island."

"You're still clinging to that fantasy of owning a private island?" Tsubaki questioned.

"Of course," Chikako declared with a cheery smile. "In the meantime, farewell. I'm sure we'll run into each other in no time at all with this kind of prize running around. However, when we meet in the field, I'm sure we won't be friends anymore."

As the tension grew amongst Menma's lieutenants, he began to walk away from them.

"I wish you all the best of luck," Menma announced as he waved his hand. "Hayato, let's go."

"Yes sir," Hayato called before following after Menma.

From there, they split up. As Menma led Hayato and his men through the deserted and decrepit remains of the town, they now occupied, he could feel the pure excitement buzzing from behind him. It was unfitting for the scenario, but Menma understood.

"Lord Menma," Hayato quicked his pace so that he walked alongside Menma, "I understand that the others aren't aware of your origins, but are you sure it's wise to chase after Uzumaki Naruto? Shouldn't we focus on Haruno Sakura? She seems to be the one Queen Mother Kaguya wants most of all."

Menma stopped and heard all of Hayato's men behind him stop as well. "Carry on to the boats!" Menma ordered, and without a single moment of hesitation, they all ran towards the shoreline. When they were far enough away, Menma turned towards Hayato, and his eyes shone. "Hayato."

Hayato could only remain silent as Menma stared him down. As Menma took a step towards him, he took a step back. It was like this until Hayato's back was pressed against a crumbling wall.

"I don't ever want to hear those words come out of your mouth again, Hayato," Menma warned with a deep snarl. "And don't ever question my decisions or intentions again, is that understood?"

Hayato nodded, "Yes sir."

Menma sucked his teeth. He stepped away from Hayato and continued towards the shoreline. Once their boats were loaded, they propelled themselves forward at high speeds and out into the open ocean.

Meanwhile, on the ferry, Naruto was in the middle of stirring a pot of stew when he stopped. Sakura was the first to notice, and when he nearly let the ladle sink into the strew, she caught it and looked at him.

"What's wrong with you?" Sakura whined as she pulled the ladle out and watched as Naruto made his way towards one of the portholes. "Don't tell me the storm is bothering you?"

"Naruto?" Hinata called to him.

"What is it?" Sasuke stood.

Naruto stared out for a few more moments before finally looking at them, "I'm sorry. I'm going to step out for a few minutes. I need some air."

As Naruto began to walk away, Sasuke caught up with him and took hold of his arm, "Where are you running off to?"

Naruto eyed Sasuke for a moment, "Please."

"Is it stupid and reckless?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto gritted his teeth before letting out a heavy sigh, "Somewhat. Menma's coming."

"Menma?" Sakura repeated. "The leader of Kuroichi?"

"You know him?" Hinata asked.

Sakura nodded, "He comes to Kiri City often to sell off items and whatnot. I've only met him a handful of times when he's come to The Abyss, but we've never said more than a few words to one another. But," Sakura looked to Naruto, "how do you know Menma?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke and saw Sasuke struggle to answer. He released Naruto's arm and let out a heavy sigh, "Tell her."

Naruto nodded. "Menma's my twin brother."

"Twin brother?" Sakura questioned. "I guess I see the resemblance, but you two look so… different from each other."

"Menma keeps his whisker-markings covered for… reasons," Naruto explained. "We were separated after our home was attacked and I haven't seen him since. I only heard he was alive a few years ago when I came across his wanted poster."

"You said Menma was coming?" Hinata questioned.

Naruto rubbed his stomach and nodded, "Yeah… he's coming."

Hinata stood from where she sat and stretched, "I guess it's time for us to work, Sasuke."

"Sounds like it," Sasuke muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Naruto, stay here."

"Huh?" Naruto watched as Sasuke and Hinata began to put their gear back on. "But, I have to fight with you. I can't let you go against Menma on your own, especially when he's probably coming for me."

"If you and Menma clash, then that's going to cause more problems," Hinata argued as she strapped on her belt and adjusted the grimoire that hung just off her left hip. "Stay as far away from Menma as you can manage, okay?"

Naruto gritted his teeth, "I appreciate all you've done for me up to this point, but this isn't something I can let you just handle on your own without me. I know Menma."

" _Knew_ Menma," Sasuke reminded Naruto. "You haven't seen him in well over fifteen years. He's changed. He's a notorious bounty hunter and bandit, and a ruthless one at that. He's been wanted by the Kingdom for the better seven years now."

"You don't think I know that?" Naruto argued. "I'm not as naïve as you think, Sasuke."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke up in a gentle tone, "I know you want to see him, but we can't allow it. And I'm not saying that as a Guardian, I'm saying that as someone who cares about you. Okay? And if you care about your brother, you won't come in contact with him."

Naruto tried to find the right words to argue with them, but it was clear on both their faces that there wasn't anything he could say to convince them otherwise. He sucked his teeth and looked away as Sasuke and Hinata finished gearing up and grabbed their staffs that lay resting against a large crate.

"Sakura, stay here," Sasuke ordered as he began to walk away with Hinata. "And if you can help it, don't expel any Mana. It'll cause even more problems, and I can only put out one fire at a time."

"Why am I the one stuck babysitting?" Sakura argued.

"You're not the one babysitting," Hinata called. She waved, "We'll be back soon, Naruto-kun. Promise me you'll stay here."

"Yeah… I'll stay," Naruto called as he waved back and watched as Sasuke created a temporary opening that the two of them jumped through before it closed behind them. He let out a loud groan of frustration and buried his face in his hands.

"Um…" Sakura stood awkwardly to the side as she watched Naruto brood. "I guess I can sympathize… Wanting something so badly, and you're just close enough to experience it, but then you're shot down by those who can't even fathom the emotions you're dealing with."

"I know Menma isn't the same as he was when we were kids… no one would be after experiencing what we experienced," Naruto muttered. "Everything happened so fast that night… we lost everything and everyone. Even Okaa-chan…"

Sakura felt an unbearable amount of grief as she saw the saddened expression on Naruto's face. For some reason, her heart broke for him despite not knowing all the details.

"There's something I want to tell you," Naruto confessed as he looked up at Sakura. "I know that Hinata and Sasuke are going to be angry with me for telling you this, especially after we've only just met and begun to travel with each other, but you have a right to know."

"What is it?" Sakura swallowed hard as she watched Naruto stand to his feet. Cautiously, she watched as Naruto detached his right sleeve and pulled it down, exposing his right arm. Her eyes widened at the sight of the tattoo design that stretched from his wrist to his shoulder, "How…"

"My actual name is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto confessed. "Fifteen years ago, Queen Mother Kaguya ordered the massacre of my clan because she feared what we were capable of. My mother, she was Uzumaki Kushina, Queen of Uzushiogakure."

"The Uzumaki were thought to be entirely wiped out after that incident," Sakura muttered.

"Okaa-chan tucked Menma and me aware in a crawlspace in the kitchen when the attack began that night," Naruto answered. "I'm not sure how long it was before Menma and I decided to come out. But when we did, everyone was gone and out mother's body was lying just a few feet in front of the entry to the crawlspace with a sword in her back. The Outsutsuki Clan emblem was on the hilt."

Sakura felt an uncomfortable tightening in her chest, "I'm sorry. And your Race?"

"Changeling," Naruto admitted. "But the Uzumaki Clan was a special breed of Changelings. A normal Changeling can simply take on the appearance of whomever they want. For the Uzumaki Clan, we can not only take on the appearance of whomever we want, but we can mimic their abilities, traits, and even genetic make-up. All we need is a drop of blood."

"And Queen Mother Kaguya feared your people because if you had managed to get ahold of an Outsutsuki, you'd be able to counter them?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto nodded.

Outside of the ferry, Hinata and Sasuke skated across the water at high speeds, the wind whipping past them as they maneuvered across the unsettled ocean.

"Are you sure it was okay to keep Naruto at the ferry?" Hinata questioned as she looked at Sasuke.

"What else were we supposed to do?" Sasuke questioned. "If Menma and Naruto come in contact, that's going to cause a chain reaction of events that we're not equipped to handle. Naruto entrusted us with that little bit of information, and he didn't have to. So, no matter how badly he wants to see Menma, we can't let him."

Hinata was about to speak when she suddenly stopped and skirted backward. Out from the water emerged a large serpent made from the water itself, its eyes a bright yellow as it glared down at her. Standing atop it was Nakamura Hayato who wore a confident smirk on his lips.

"How lucky of us that you would come out and greet us," Hayato called.

"Lady Hyuuga!"

Hinata turned and watched as Naruto came from other a low wave and stood a position in front of her. He wore a determined look in his eyes as he glared up at Hayato. "Naruto? What're you doing here? Go - !"

Naruto glanced over his shoulder and smirked, his blue eyes transitioning to dark red. Behind Hinata, nine black foxes of varying sizes emerged from the water. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," his voice came out huskier as he turned and directed the tip of his blade towards Hinata.

In just a matter of seconds, Hinata's skin changed blue, and a massive wall of water erected all around Hinata, boxing her in and causing Menma to stumble backward and keep the foxes at bay.

Menma chuckled as he ran his fingers through his short blonde hair that transitioned back to black and long as his hand passed through it. "A Genasi? It's been a while since I've encountered one of your kind. It's always a fun little challenge that gets my blood pumping."

"Lord Menma," Hayato called. "Your orders?"

"Ah, right," Menma twirled his sword. "I simply wanted to greet the two responsible for picking up my little brother, but now that I've seen you," Menma glanced over at Sasuke, "I'm not all that interested. Where's Naruto? Still on the ferry?"

"What do you want with Naruto?" Sasuke questioned as he carefully reached his hand around his back and took ahold of his staff.

"Careful, Uchiha," Menma said with a smile, "whether you like to believe it or not, I'm fully capable of handling the both of you at the same time without Hayato's help. And to answer your question, it's none of your business."

"Lord Menma," Hayato warned.

"What is it?" Menma glanced to his right and saw the make-up running off his arm. "Ah, this?" Menma held out his arm and let the rain wash away the rest of the make-up and reveal his markings. "I'm sure the two of them are fully aware of who Naruto is. Interesting, right? It's not every day you run into an Uzumaki, especially when we're all supposed to be dead. Your queen thought it necessary to kill us all, after all."

"So this is what this is all about?" Sasuke questioned.

Menma chuckled, "Definitely not. I don't like to let my personal feelings get in the way of work."

"Work?" Hinata repeated and then her eyes widened. She looked towards the ferry and saw a group of men and women skirting across the water, "Sakura!"

"Bingo," Menma cooed. He snapped his finger and Sasuke, and Sakura watched as nearly a hundred men and women emerged from the water. "Hayato, don't disappoint me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Hayato assured. "You know what you're supposed to do, so do it!"

"Yes sir!" the hundred men and women said in unison as some charged towards Sasuke and Hinata while others launched magical attacks towards them.

On the ferry, Naruto reattached his sleeve. As he adjusted it, he heard the ferry's siren blare out, and as he and Sakura each ran to a porthole, they could see the hundreds of men and women heading towards the ferry.

"Kuroichi," Sakura said as she looked at Naruto. "What're we going to do?"

"Stay here," Naruto ordered, and without a single hint of hesitation, he created an opening in the side of the hull and jumped out.

"Hey!" Sakura called after him and watched as Naruto ran across the water and towards the attackers. In a split second decision, Sakura dropped through the opening just before it closed and landed on the water. She struggled to catch her bearings atop the aggressive waves, but once she gained her footing, she moved forward.

"There she is!" one of the attackers called.

"Don't use your magic!" Naruto called just before touching his hand to the top of a wave and pulled it away to create a sword. Just before he blocked the incoming attack, the sword solidified and a designed etched itself into the ice, all within the seconds before the attack hit the sword. Naruto didn't flinch as the design of the sword began to glow a bright red, and he peered past the edge of his blade at the group edging towards him.

He didn't focus on them long though. Beyond them, just less than a mile away, Menma strolled along the top of the water with a wickedly bright look in his eyes.

"There you are," Menma cooed as he stopped and looked at Naruto for the first time since they were separated.

"Naruto, don't!" Hinata cried out from beyond Menma as she landed against the water and avoided an attack from Hayato.

Naruto didn't hear her. He didn't hear anyone. With extreme quickness, Naruto flew across the water's surface. Menma removed his dagger from its sheath and easily blocked Naruto's sword as it came down.

"Long time no see Naruto," Menma snickered. "You may not believe me when I say this, but it's good to see you."

 **To Be Continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the delay! I didn't think it would take me this long to get this chapter done!

 **Last Time:**

 _ **He didn't focus on them long though. Beyond them, just less than a mile away, Menma strolled along the top of the water with a wickedly bright look in his eyes.**_

 _ **"There you are," Menma cooed as he stopped and looked at Naruto for the first time since they were separated.**_

 _ **"Naruto, don't!" Hinata cried out from beyond Menma as she landed against the water and avoided an attack from Hayato.**_

 _ **Naruto didn't hear her. He didn't hear anyone. With extreme quickness, Naruto flew across the water's surface. Menma removed his dagger from its sheath and easily blocked Naruto's sword as it came down.**_

 _ **"Long time no see Naruto," Menma snickered. "You may not believe me when I say this, but it's good to see you."**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 9 – The Ripple Effect**

"I'm not letting you take her," Naruto snarled as he met Menma's gaze. "Don't make me hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Menma repeated before erupting into gut-busting laughter. "Oh, little Naruto, do you really think you're capable of standing up against me? You never beat me in a fight when we were little kids, and I was always running to your defense. Do you honestly expect me to believe that you're suddenly capable of _hurting_ me?"

"A lot's changed in the last ten years, Menma," Naruto warned as his eyes changed from their brilliant blue to a menacing red. His whisker markings darkened and his canines extended, "I wasn't going to roll over and die just because you weren't around anymore."

Menma narrowed his eyes at Naruto, "You might as well have. It would've made my life a little bit easier."

Naruto's breath caught in his throat as he looked down and saw a large black fox had wrapped its jaw around his torso. As it sunk its teeth deeper into him, he felt a burning sensation radiate through him. And then his eyes widened.

"I'll be taking the rest of him with me," Menma smirked as he cut through Naruto's sword and grabbed him by his throat. "So do me a favor and cooperate!"

Naruto gritted his teeth as he took ahold of Menma's arm. And almost simultaneously, two pillars of light erupted around the two of them. From Naruto, a large pillar of light orange light stretched out towards the sky while Menma's was dark orange.

Both pillars of light caused violent waves to ripple out around them and caused the clouds overhead to swirl and appear more frightening than they were before. For those on the water, the overwhelming sensation they felt at the sight of those two pillars left them frozen where they stood and staring at the scene in front of them with wide eyes.

"You're going to make this harder than it needs to be, huh, Naruto?" Menma questioned as a smirk grew on his lips. "Be smart about this. You and I both know that you won't win against me."

"You're not making this easy for me either, Menma!" Naruto shouted as he gritted his teeth and glared at his brother. "I already told you that I wasn't going to roll over and die just because you weren't around, and I'm certainly not going to do it now just because you asked."

"What if I say please?" Menma teased.

Their pillars of lights started to expand outward. The space between the two of them became smaller and smaller, and as they touched, a powerful pulse shot out and knocked everyone on the water off their feet. Many others were sent tumbling across the water as the pulse knocked them back, and others struggled to hang on.

Near the ferry, Sakura dove out of the way of the violently rocking ferry as it was lifted up by the waves before crashing back down against the water. As she anchors herself to the water, she looked up in time to see something appear above Naruto and Menma. Each of them had half the face of a large fox leering above their heads, growling at one another with exposed teeth and bright scarlet eyes.

"Come!" Menma encouraged with a gleeful look in his eyes. "Show me who you've become!"

When lightning struck the water's surface, the two of them bolted towards one another. It was a bare-knuckles fight, and it was fierce. As Naruto and Menma clashed, bolts of orange lightning jolted out and exploded against the water. When their fists struck against one another, it sounded like thunder, and the force was enough to cause a powerful gust of wind to blow out from around them and cause violent waves to emerge.

Naruto ducked beneath Menma's right hook, and just before he could land a powerful punch in Menma's gut, Menma launched himself off the water using Naruto's arm as support. He landed on the water behind Naruto and ducked low enough to miss Naruto's leg swinging over his head. Naruto gritted his teeth and flipped back a few feet, but as he landed on his feet, he saw Menma was just inches in front of him.

He crossed his arms in front of him and endured the brute force of Menma's punch that sent him flying across the water. He skidded across the water's surface like a stone across a pond before he slowed himself down by sinking his fingers into the water's surface. He got up in time to dodge out of the way of Menma who dove towards him.

Menma landed atop the water and spun around in time to kick Naruto in the side. He sucked his teeth as Naruto endured the blow. "This isn't like you at all, Naruto. If anything, you're supposed to be more hostile than this. You used to be so desperate to win against me when we were kids."

"We aren't kids anymore, Menma," Naruto groaned.

Menma let out a light chuckle, "I can see that. I can honestly say I'm proud to see that you've grown up so much since Mom died, but let's face it, we both know how this ends so let's stop delaying the inevitable so you can go ahead and go see Mom again."

Just then, Menma's nine black foxes that varied in size and shape sprung out of the water with their mask pulled back and their mouths agape. Naruto's eyes widen at the sight of them, and just before he could react, Menma jumped out of the way, and all nine of the foxes let loose a powerful attack.

Menma didn't flinch as water erupted where his foxes had attacked Naruto. He merely stood back and waited.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shrieked. In her moment of distraction, a woman from Kuroichi came up behind Hinata and caught her in full nelson. Hinata gritted her teeth, and just as another Kuroichi member dove towards her with the tip of their blade pointed at her stomach, all three of them were engulfed in water.

The orb of water dragged them down, and as both Kuroichi members struggled to breathe, Hinata darted away from them and through the water towards where Menma was. As she shot out of the water, she landed atop it and let out an agonizing yell as a massive wave of water erupted from where she landed.

Before the wave could crash over Menma, another wave of the same size erupted from behind Menma and crashed against Hinata's. Hayato landed just beside Menma with a confident smirk on his lips.

"I would've been fine," Menma muttered as he began to walk towards a motionless Naruto who remained floating in the water.

"I'm just doing my job, Boss," Hayato assured him.

"Now then," Menma reached Naruto and knelt beside him, "you should still be breathing after that." He reached down and placed his hand against Naruto's back, "Be sure to say hi to Mom for me when you see her."

Menma pause for a moment. When Menma started to laugh lightly to himself, Hayato looked over his shoulder at him with a look of concern and curiosity.

"Boss?" Hayato watched as Menma stood. "What's going on?"

"It's not him," Menma said.

"Huh?"

Across the water, beyond the beach and not too far into the woods, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke were barreling through the woods. None of them were sure how far they ran or for how long, but when they finally decided to stop, they were all panting and sweating.

Sakura sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree, and wiped sweat from her forehead, "How long do you think we have before Menma notices?"

"Knowing Menma, he's noticed already," Naruto said between pants. "What we need to worry about is when he's going to come after us again, and realistically speaking, there's really no way to predict that until he's already on us."

Neither Hinata or Sasuke said a word. Sakura looked between the three of them, and she couldn't help but notice the harrowing expressions on their faces. "Something happened when yours and Menma's Mana touched, didn't it? Something serious?"

"When we found out Menma was your brother, you told us to do everything without our power to keep the two of you _away_ from one another," Sasuke began as he narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "There have been countless moments where you've been within twenty-fucking-miles of Menma, and we've created distance between the two of you to prevent what just happened, from happening!"

"What _did_ happen?" Sakura asked.

"It's…complicated," Hinata confessed.

"How does it get more complicated than the fact that he's an Uzumaki that's supposed to be dead?" Sakura asked.

"You told her?" Sasuke questioned.

"She had a right to know," Naruto argued.

Sasuke rubbed his face and let out a groan of frustration, "If it's not one thing it's something else. Why did you leave the ferry? Why was tonight different than any other time."

"He would've hurt Hinata," Naruto said. "I was doing my job. I swore I would protect the both of you because I owe my life to you, and I wasn't going to go back on that just because I had a responsibility to myself to stay away from Menma."

"To yourself?" Sasuke scoffed. "It's like you're undermining the severity of this situation right now, Naruto."

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata spoke softly, and Sasuke looked at her, "what's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it now."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, "You can't just stand there and act like this is okay."

"I'm not," Hinata argued. "I'm just as upset with Naruto as you are, maybe even more, but yelling at him isn't going to change that's already been done. And no one said that what comes next is our problem."

"It will be once they come for him," Sasuke reminded her.

"Will someone just tell me what the hell is going on?" Sakura asked in frustration.

"Menma and I are the hosts for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Kurama," Naruto answered, and an ashen expression fell over Sakura's face at the sound of his answer. "Part of the reason Queen Mother Kaguya had my clan wiped out was not only because she feared what we were capable of, but she was also looking for Kurama."

"Hang on," Sakura let out a half-hearted chuckle as she looked back and forth between the three of them, "Queen Mother Kaguya regularly boasts how the Tailed Beasts are in possession of the Nine Houses of the Outsutsuki Clan. They've _been_ in possession of the Nine Houses of the Outsutsuki Clan for well over two millennia, haven't they?"

Naruto shook his head, "They haven't had the Tailed Beasts for almost that length of time. Queen Mother Kaguya uses the Tailed Beasts as a scare tactic to keep citizens in line, but if they knew the truth, then there'd be nothing stopping them from rebelling against the Outsutsuki Clan and their Nine Houses."

"It's not like one isn't already brewing anyway," Sasuke muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked over to Sakura, "The Nine Houses of the Outsutsuki Clan lost possession of the Tailed Beast almost two millennia ago, and the Tailed Beasts themselves have been around for nearly five. I'm sure you're aware of the fact that the Outsutsuki Clan founded this continent and this kingdom thousands of years ago? Back when there was nothing here but trees and grass and mountains and dirt?"

Sakura looked offended, "Of course. I'm not incompetent."

"Anyway," Sasuke brushed pass Sakura's comment, "the matriarch of the Outsutsuki Clan, Outsutsuki Kaguya – not to be confused with the woman who sits on the throne now – killed her eldest son Outsutsuki Hagoromo and divided his body up into nine parts and from those parts, the Tailed Beasts were born."

"I didn't know that part," Sakura admitted.

Hinata let out a heavy sigh, "The Outsutsuki Clan like to paint over the bloody parts of their history and present more acceptable stories to the people. But, that part is true. The Matriarch felt threatened by Master Hagoromo because he proved himself to be more powerful than she was, and she knew that once he assumed his place on the throne after her, he would undo all of her work that placed the Outsutsuki in a position of supreme power. So, she killed him."

"After Hagoromo was split into the Nine Tailed Beasts, they were scattered across the continent and kept locked away in valleys and caverns far away from towns and villages," Naruto explained. "It wasn't until the population started to grow and people began exploring that the Tailed Beasts were discovered, so The Matriarch retrieved the Tailed Beasts and divided the Outsutsuki Clan into nine houses. Each house was tasked with protecting and serving a Tailed Beasts, but eventually, infighting began amongst the Outsutsuki Clan as they debated about which Tailed Beasts was the strongest and who should have the right to rule."

"The Tenth House and Main House of the Outsutsuki Clan, the house that the Matriarch commanded, tried to stop the fighting but a war broke out and devastated half the continent," Hinata explained. "After that, the Tailed Beasts went into a deep slumber because the people who were tasked to protect them drained them of their mana and nearly the entirety of their life force. Then, they disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Sakura repeated. "How did they just disappear?"

"They jumped Realms," Naruto answered. "Unbeknownst to the Outsutsuki Clan, they moved through multiple Realms for nearly a thousand years before they returned to this one. And in order to avoid the Outsutsuki Clan, each of the Tailed Beasts sought the help of prominent Clans across the continent to serve them and protect them. Kurama found my ancestors on our islands when he returned, and after making a deal with the clan head at the time, Kurama joined with the clan head, and he remained on the island and was treated as a deity and protected."

"It wasn't until the last one hundred years or so that they've started a serious hunt for the Tailed Beasts," Sasuke added. "They've succeeded a few times, usually clashing with several clans in search for the Tailed Beasts, but they've been unsuccessful at keeping the Tailed Beasts. Then, in Queen Mother Kaguya's frustration, she started ordering the eradication of entire clans."

"The search for the Tailed Beasts have always been tricky for the Outsutsuki Clan seeing as the Tailed Beasts served their familial connection with them, but it became especially hard after Menma and I were born. Traditionally, there's only one host for Kurama in the Uzumaki Clan, but when they tried sealing Kurama within Menma, they discovered his body was too weak, and so they settled on dividing Kurama into two and placing half in Menma and half in me.

"It was important that the two of us never come in contact with one another because if Kurama were to become whole again, then his Mana would disturb the Mana of the other Tailed Beasts and practically send a signal to the Outsutsuki Clan," Naruto explained in a solemn voice. "It only became a problem after Menma, and I became his hosts. Before, Kurama was able to control his own Mana and keep it at bay, but with Menma and I, he says there's something different about us that serves as a beacon almost."

"He?" Sakura asked. "You don't mean, Kurama, do you?"

Naruto nodded, "I do." He rubbed his stomach, "He's usually sleeping because he can't function very well with only half his Mana, but lately, he's been agitated. He says it's your fault that he's irritable right now."

"My fault? How is it my fault?" Sakura questioned.

"He's not sure," Naruto answered. "But I just know that when I first saw you, and you unleashed your Mana in The Abyss, something triggered Kurama and scared him."

"Scared him?" Hinata was the one to appear curious now. "She _scares_ him?"

Naruto nodded.

"It's one thing on top of another," Sasuke groaned. "Look, our main priority at the moment is to figure out what she is so we can figure out how to get her Mana under control. On top of that, we have to worry about the Outsutsuki Clan not only hunting her down, but they're going to be coming after you too, Naruto. Them and Menma that is."

"And what about the other hosts of the Tailed Beasts?" Naruto asked.

"What about them?" Sasuke asked. "You don't even know if they have hosts like Kurama does."

"He says they do," Naruto countered. "And we can't just leave them to fend for themselves. The Outsutsuki are going to be relentless when it comes to trying to retrieve the Tailed Beasts. Extracting a Tailed Beasts improperly means death for the hosts. I messed up which means their lives are in my hands and they're my responsibility now."

Sasuke groaned and rubbed his face, "This is why we told you to stay on the ferry in the first place."

Hinata let out a heavy sigh, "Sasuke-kun."

"I know," Sasuke complained. He let out a heavy sigh and placed his hands on his hips, "We'll devise a plan in the morning for what we're going to do about all of…this." Sasuke gestured to nothing and no one in particular. "We should keep moving for a little while, create some more distance between us and the shoreline. The chances of Menma pursuing us now are slim since he hasn't already made it here."

"He won't come," Naruto said. "He's moving away. It won't be too much longer now before I can't feel him anymore."

"That's a relief," Sakura admitted and saw Hinata nod in agreement.

As for Menma, he seemed unbothered by the trick pulled by Naruto and his friends. He was on his own, wandering through thick brush and moving in no particular direction. He stopped however when he heard a twig break behind him. "What is that girl?"

"That's none of your concern," Urashiki answered as the portal closed behind him. "I'm surprised you failed, Menma."

Menma snickered and looked over his shoulder at Urashiki with a wild and disturbing look in his eyes, "My apologies, _Lord_ Urashiki. I couldn't exactly function with that girl around. She _bothers_ Kurama; she bothers him so much that he was practically ready to crawl back into his cage and stay there. What. Is. She."

"Like I said before, it's none of your concern," Urashiki argued. "All you need to know is that Queen Mother Kaguya wants her dead as soon as possible. Don't forget that brother of yours is the _bonus_ here, Menma. But I suppose I should be thanking your brother for his carelessness. It seems the other Tailed Beasts might be rustling now."

"You're welcome." Menma turned and faced Urashiki. "I'll be honest with you though, it's not going to be easy to retrieve all of the Tailed Beasts. If they're as stubborn as Kurama, then I doubt you'll have any luck getting near any of them."

"Don't worry about that," Urashiki said. "And I hope you understand that you're not safe from this, Menma. You may have half of Kurama, but the other half exists."

"You don't think I know that?" Menma seemed offended. "The only reason you haven't taken Kurama yet is because I've proven myself useful to you time and time again, Urashiki. Don't think my usefulness runs out after I've killed that girl."

"And don't think for a second that I'm employing your services because I need help," Urashiki countered, and he saw the way Menma's jaw tightened. "I thought employing you for this would make things end quickly so that I could go home and drink more liquor and fuck more women, but I guess I put too much faith in you. I'll give you another chance because I've seen your work, but if you fail again, then I promise you I'll drop your body off to your brother so that he can give you a proper burial. Do I make myself clear?"

Menma sucked his teeth.

"Don't fuck up again," Urashiki spat before another portal opened behind him. "So long, Menma." Urashiki jumped back through the portal, and it disappeared as soon as he was through.

Menma felt his ears get hot while his heart began pounding violently against his chest. He let out a roar of frustration and punched through a nearby tree trunk. He stood by as the tree fell and smacked against the ground.

 **To Be Continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Last Time:**

 _ **"And don't think for a second that I'm employing your services because I need help," Urashiki countered, and he saw the way Menma's jaw tightened. "I thought employing you for this would make things end quickly so that I could go home and drink more liquor and fuck more women, but I guess I put too much faith in you. I'll give you another chance because I've seen your work, but if you fail again, then I promise you I'll drop your body off to your brother so that he can give you a proper burial. Do I make myself clear?"**_

 _ **Menma sucked his teeth.**_

 _ **"Don't fuck up again," Urashiki spat before another portal opened behind him. "So long, Menma." Urashiki jumped back through the portal, and it disappeared as soon as he was through.**_

 _ **Menma felt his ears get hot while his heart began pounding violently against his chest. He let out a roar of frustration and punched through a nearby tree trunk. He stood by as the tree fell and smacked against the ground.**_

 **Cradle: Chapter 10 –**

It was early in the morning, well before daybreak, when Momoshiki and Kinshiki were called into Kaguya's chambers. When they arrived, they found her standing on the balcony just off the side of her bedroom where she stood at the railing with a glass of wine in hand. She didn't say anything when they first approached. She simply took a sip of her wine before gently placing the glass on top of the stone railing.

She let out a heavy sigh and waved her hand, dismissing the servant who stood by holding a bucket of ice that cradled the bottle of wine that Kaguya had been nursing. He bowed slightly towards her before respectfully bowing towards Momoshiki and KInshiki and making his exit.

"It seems Kurama is awake," Kaguya finally said. "Have we identified where he's been all this time?"

"Yes, ma'am," Momoshiki answered. "I hate to be the one to inform you of this, Lady Kaguya, but it appears that Kurama resides within a pair of brothers from the Uzumaki Clan."

"The Uzumaki Clan?" Kaguya repeated as she glanced over her shoulder. "That's not possible. Urashiki should've killed them all fifteen years ago. There shouldn't be an Uzumaki left."

"It appears to be that Urashiki missed these two," Momoshiki said. "Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Menma, they're twins and – "

"Uzumaki Kushina's sons." Kaguya sucked her teeth. "That woman was hellbent on racking on my nerves so long as she was breathing, so I thought I had handled that when I had her clan exterminated. Even beyond the grave, that woman is a nuisance."

Momoshiki waited as Kaguya took another sip of her wine before turning to face them, "There's another issue."

"And what would that be aside from the fact that we have two Royal Blooded Uzumaki wandering around out there with my son's heart burrowed into their bellies?" Kaguya questioned.

Momoshiki pursed his lips together before finally letting out a heavy sigh, "It appears that Uzumaki Naruto is traveling alongside Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata, and Haruno Sakura. We spoke with Toneri briefly, and he remembers seeing Naruto with them, and says that his soldiers reported being attacked by a large fox while trying to pursue the Anomaly when they first took her from The Abyss."

"If it's not one thing, it's something else," Kaguya scoffed. She finished what was left of her wine before tossing the glass over the balcony. "And where is Urashiki now?"

"We're not sure," Momoshiki answered.

Kaguya rolled her eyes, "Of course you aren't. I'm sure Urashiki will rear his ugly head when he gets ready to. In the meantime, use Naruto and Menma's carelessness as an opportunity and track down and identify the other bastards who hold pieces of my son. And once they're identified, I want their heads and the pieces of my son back here as soon as you're able, do I make myself clear?"

"Of course, Queen Mother," Kinshiki answered. "We'll do our best to not disappoint you."

"See that you don't," Kaguya encouraged. "I'm not in a forgiving mood these days, and the amount of failures I'll tolerate with this is very few. _Don't_ disappoint me, Momoshiki. Kinshiki."

"We wouldn't dream of it, Lady Kaguya," Momoshiki answered.

"You're dismissed." Kaguya waved her hand and watched as Momoshiki and Kinshiki bowed slightly before exiting her chambers. She let out a heavy sigh and leans against the railing before looking up at the sky. There were few stars left, but from what she could see, there were nine still lingering overhead, "Hagoromo, you'll be home soon."

"Still longing for that son of yours? I wish I could say it's heartbreaking when in reality, it's just pathetic."

Kaguya brought her gaze down from the stars and looked towards the double doors that led back into her bedroom. Just inside, lingering by her bar was Urashiki, and she watched as he shifted through the priceless bottles that occupied her bar before settling on one and yanking the cork out with his teeth. "I doubt that drink has been earned, Urashiki."

"It hasn't," Urashiki answered, and he drank anyway.

"Where is she?" Kaguya questioned.

Urashiki continued to drink until nearly half the bottle had been downed. When he finally pulled the bottle from his lips, he let out a satisfied noise and wiped any excess liquor from his lips before sauntering over to Kaguya's bed and plopping down on the edge of it, "They reached the mainland. The individual I employed to assist with their captured failed miserably, so things have become a bit more…complicated."

"Complicated is an understatement," Kaguya sneered as she walked off the balcony and back into her room. She made her way over to Urashiki and snatched the bottle from his hands, "Do you have _any_ idea how serious this situation has become?"

"Lose the attitude, Kaguya," Urashiki suggested as he met Kaguya's glare with an unamused expression of his own. "Like I've told you time and time again, you should've killed the cunt when Toneri found her in the first place. Had you done your duty, upheld your responsibilities to this family like you swore to do, then we could all be resting easy right now."

"Why are you here?" Kaguya questioned.

Urashiki sighed, "I came for a drink. I'm going to need it seeing as my job has reached a level of complication I was hoping to avoid."

"And the individual you employed, who are they?" Kaguya made her way to her bar and resealed the bottle she'd taken from Urashiki.

"You're better off not knowing," Urashiki replied.

Kaguya lingered at the bar for a moment before glancing over towards Urashiki, "Urashiki."

"Yes?"

"You killed _all_ of the Uzumaki like I asked, didn't you?" Kaguya questioned.

Urashiki eyed Kaguya for a moment before standing up, "I killed every last one that I saw that night, just as you asked."

"And the ones you didn't see?" Kaguya turned to face him and saw the unamused expression had transitioned into one of annoyance.

"What are you asking me?" Urashiki's voice was harsh as he moved towards Kaguya and stopped just a few inches from her face.

"It seems like you missed two," Kaguya replied, and she noticed the way Urashiki's eyebrow twitched. "Uzumaki Menma and Uzumaki Naruto. Seems a series of fortunate events brought the two brothers back together and their fateful meeting awoke Kurama and triggered some sort of pulse that woke up the other Tailed Beasts as well."

"Is that right?" Urashiki feigned interest.

"Your priority is to kill the Haruno girl, but if you happen to run into either Uzumaki, extract Kurama and bring me their heads, is that clear?" Kaguya demanded.

"Crystal," Urashiki confirmed. "And what do you plan to do while the rest of us are running around cleaning up?"

"I'll be making a formal announcement in a few hours making the bounty on their heads public," Kaguya informed him. "With a bounty as large as this one on _each_ of their heads, they'll be faced with a serious chokehold and things will be settled in no time at all."

"Very well." Urashiki stepped back from Kaguya. "It'll be a while before you see me next, Princess. Try not to miss me too much."

"I doubt I'll miss you at all," Kaguya replied.

Urashiki simply snickered before wandering out of the room. Kaguya let out a heavy sigh before making her way over to her bed. She buried her face in her hands and sat there for a long while. She wasn't sure how much time had passed until she heard a gentle knock at her door. When she lifted her head, she could see the sun was shining through her opening balcony windows, and she could suddenly hear the hustling and bustling of the palace from down below.

"Queen Mother?" Toneri cautiously opened the door and poked his head inside. "Queen Mother, it's almost time for your address. You asked me to come and help you get ready?"

"Yes. Yes, come in," Kaguya urged and looked over her shoulder. She watched as Toneri entered the room, formally dressed in his regalia with his hair tamed and slicked back. She admired him for a moment before standing from her bed, "I seem to have spaced out for a moment."

"Is everything all right?" Toneri questioned. "I know things are turning into more of a mess when it comes to the Anomaly. It's not taking a toll on you, is it?"

"No," Kaguya lied. "It's just a minor inconvenience that I wish would resolve itself, but sometimes things require a little more attention than others. But, all is well. There's no need to worry."

"If you say so, Queen Mother."

As Toneri had mentioned, he helped her get dressed into her formal robes and regalia before maids came into the room to do her hair and make-up. He patiently stood by and waited, and once she was done, he escorted her through the halls.

"Queen Mother," Toneri spoke up after the two had been walking alongside one another in silence for a short while, "I really am sorry about losing the Anomaly. I know you had told me to keep her there at the Abyss, but there was nothing I could do to prevent Uchiha and Hyuuga from taking her."

"What's done is done," Kaguya assured him. "There's no sense dwelling on the past. All that's left to do now is rectify the mistake and continue on with our lives. Understood?"

Toneri nodded, "Of course, Queen Mother."

"Toneri," Kaguya released her hold on Toneri's arm, "I'll be making the address on my own, so you can wait inside with the others."

"Queen Mother?" Toneri stopped in his tracks and watched as Kaguya made her way through the large set of double doors that led into the palace, and out onto the steps where dozens of cameras and thousands of spectators stood by in anticipation.

"Seems someone's fallen from grace," Naoto commented from where he stood leaning against the wall. "It's almost like you're like one of us normal Clansmen."

Outside, Kaguya stood silently as reporters and journalist flashed pictures of hers and hurled questions at her. After a few moments of this, she raised her hand, and silence fell. "Ladies and gentlemen," her voice was clear and reached all those in attendance, and thanks to the cameras, it reached millions of others across the continent, "I thank you for humoring me with this sudden address on this morning. I apologize for the urgency of it, but this matter could very well affect the well-being of this country.

"Less than seventy-two hours ago, Guardian Uchiha Sasuke and Guardian Hyuuga Hinata stole a highly dangerous individual from an illegal fighting arena located off the coast of Kiri Island," Kaguya announced, and there was a low murmur that came over the spectators. "This fighter, Haruno Sakura, has been deemed unstable and capable of producing Realm Tears at will, and this dangerous individual is working alongside these traitors who plan to do damage to our home."

"Are you saying that Guardian Uchiha and Guardian Hyuuga are terrorist?" one reporter called.

Kaguya pressed her lips before letting out a heavy sigh, "Yes. Guardian – no, I suppose I shouldn't call them that anymore, should I? Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata have failed to uphold the duties and responsibilities of a _true_ Guardian, and these recent events further prove that they are unfit to continue to carry the title of Guardian. Therefore, I will be revoking their titles and deeming them Enemies of the Crown effective immediately."

"Looks like your fiancée is your fiancée no more," Naoto commented.

Toneri didn't say a word.

"Not only are Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata traveling alongside this dangerous individual Haruno Sakura, but they're also traveling alongside an enemy we thought had been dealt with almost twenty years ago," Kaguya continued. "They are also traveling with Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the infamous Rebellious Priestess Uzumaki Kushina. Together, I fear these four are planning a devastating assault on our home, and I ask that you all, citizens of this place we call home, help us, the Outsutsuki Clan, do our part to stop any serious damage from happening.

"I've approved the placing of a bounty on the four of them," Kaguya announced, and immediately four Wanted posters appeared above her head with their bounty along the bottom. The price on each of them was enough to silence the murmuring of those in attendance, and it took everything in Kaguya to keep from smiling, "I call upon every Hunter, Fighter, Warrior, Sorcerer, Sorceress, Necromancer, Occultist, any and all individuals capable of putting up a fight for the sake of this country. I call upon you to help us seek out and capture these individuals and bring them to justice."

"Queen Mother Kaguya, do you fear that they'll be after you?" a reporter asked.

"I have nothing to fear, for I will fight to protect this country just as tirelessly as the next individual," Kaguya answered. "My ancestors built this country into what it is today, and I refuse to watch it fall to a group of terrorist who believes that whatever damage they do can cripple what the Outsutsuki have fought so hard to build and protect for thousands of years."

"Do you know the last known locations of the four of them?" another reporter asked.

Kaguya nodded, "Yes. It appears that they managed to sneak onto a ferry that left from Kiri Island's docks just the other evening, but seems to have since fled from it before it reached the mainland."

"So they're on the mainland?"

"Yes," Kaguya confirmed. "It's safe to assume that they're near the dock where the ferry from Kiri island usually drops off its passengers. However, it's unclear on where they plan to go first, so I ask that everyone stay aware and keep an eye out for the four of them. If you do see them, I ask that you proceed with caution as the four of them are highly trained fighters. They're dangerous, and they will not hesitate to kill those who cross them.

"If you see them and are unable to approach, I ask that you inform those who can fight. As a bonus, anyone who can confirm the whereabouts of these individuals will receive a sizeable reward," Kaguya announced. "It is important to me that this all is resolved soon so that we may continue to rest easy. Now, once again, I apologize for the suddenness of this address, but I thank you for listening."

With that, Kaguya turned on her heel and headed back into the palace. Once the doors shut, her faux smile faded, "Naoto."

"Yes, Queen Mother?" Naoto stood upright.

"I want you to inform any and all Outsutsuki who are now out hunting for the four of them that anyone who brings me their heads within the next seven days will receive a fifty-percent bonus," Kaguya said.

Naoto blinked a few times before clearing his throat, "Y-Yes Queen Mother! Of course. I'll do that right away."

"Seven days?" Momoshiki commented. "You're being quite generous with the time, don't you think, Lady Kaguya?"

"I'm sure we'll have their heads in less time than that," Kaguya replied as she pulled her headdress off and tossed it to a nearby maid. "With a bounty as large as this one, everyone in their right mind will be out hunting them. They can't run forever, and they surely can't fight forever."

Meanwhile, at an inn located in a traveler's town along a major road, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata sat in silence as Kaguya's address transitioned to a newscaster talking about how Sasuke and Hinata were the first Guardians in history to have their titles "ripped" away from them.

Their silence was interrupted when there was a gentle knock on their door.

"Housekeeping," a gentle voice called from the other side.

"Housekeeping my ass," Sasuke muttered as he stood up and removed his wrist band. He dropped it onto the ground and stomped on it until it was nothing more than crushed metal and plastic. "Hinata."

"Here." Hinata removed her wristband and handed it off to Sasuke. He quickly destroyed hers as well before motioning for Sakura to get up from the couch.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto." Sasuke nodded towards the door before grabbing ahold of his staff then handing Hinata hers.

Naruto crept towards the door and carefully pressed his ear against the door. He listened for a moment before his eyes widened, "Get back!"

Naruto ran towards where Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura stood by waiting, and as he grabbed ahold of the coffee table and brought it up as a makeshift shied, a powerful explosion went off that sent the four of them crashing through their window and out onto the street.

Naruto groaned before throwing the coffee table off of him and looking at the gaping hole they just flew through. He saw a young woman standing by with a proud grin on her lips while the young man standing beside her wore a look of sheer determination.

"Tenten?" Hinata groaned as she sat up and recognized the young woman standing in the hole she created.

"Long time no see, Hinata. Sasuke," Tenten said in a cheery tone. "I really am sorry about this."

"You have to be fucking kidding me," Sasuke groaned. "You don't have to do this."

"A collective bounty of 2.3 billion says otherwise," Tenten argued. "Had it been less, Lee and I would've turned a blind eye to the situation, but I mean," Tenten shrugged, "how can we pass up that kind of money? It's nothing personal, we promise. Strictly business." Tenten removed the scroll off of her lower back and stood it up beside her, "We'll give you a headstart though? How is five seconds?"

"Go," Sasuke urged as they all scrambled to their feet. "Go!"

Without another word, the four of them were sprinting through the crowded street, shoving through and forcing their way to the town's edge.

"Five," Tenten called.

"Why are we running?" Sakura asked.

"Because she's a weapons expert and he's insane," Sasuke answered. "Less talking, more running.

"Four."

"Maybe we should try teleporting again?" Naruto suggested.

"Absolutely not!" Hinata argued.

"Three."

"They'll catch up with us otherwise!" Sakura argued.

"Two," Tenten sighed. She looked to her partner, Lee, who stood beside her, "One?"

"One."

 **To Be Continued…**


End file.
